Plug Power has started production of electrolytic liquid hydrogen at its plant in Woodbine, Georgia, where it may generate 15 tons of liquid hydrogen each day.
The new facility is reportedly the largest liquid green hydrogen plant in the United States, and it also contains the largest PEM electrolyzer deployment in the country.
The site contains eight 5-megawatt electrolyzers that create clean hydrogen fuel by separating water into hydrogen and oxygen. Liquid hydrogen fuel may be then used for fuel cell electric vehicle fleets, material handling operations, stationary power applications, and more. The company claims that the facility may produce enough hydrogen daily to power 15,000 forklifts.
Plug Power said that the new facility advances its vision to build a vertically integrated green hydrogen ecosystem that includes production, liquefication, storage, and transport of the fuel, all in one network. This is meant to help customers seamlessly integrate hydrogen into their operations across a wide range of industries.
“We have achieved a historic milestone for Plug and the entire hydrogen ecosystem,” said Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh. “Bringing this green hydrogen plant online demonstrates that we are the leading builder of global hydrogen infrastructure for supporting customer demand in decarbonizing their operations.”
The company has also been operating an additional pilot gaseous hydrogen plant in Georgia and has been working to build and operate additional plants in Louisiana, New York, and Texas.
The green hydrogen market has surged as the fuel can decarbonize heavy-duty manufacturing, transportation, and other hard-to-abate sectors. Additionally, policies in the U.S. and Europe have furthered the clean fuel's attractiveness for sustainable use. Plug Power said it plans to produce 1,500 tons of clean hydrogen daily amongst its facilities by 2030.
Plug Power has developed what is said to be the first commercially viable market for hydrogen fuel cell technology and has deployed over 60,000 fuel cell systems and 180 fueling stations around the world.
Earlier this month, the company installed an electrolyzer on-site at an Amazon fulfillment center, allowing for production of low-carbon hydrogen to power the company’s forklifts. Plug Power has also worked to provide hydrogen services to other major companies such as BMW, the Southern Company, Carrefour, and Walmart.
Green hydrogen’s potential as a zero-carbon solution for operations that traditionally use diesel or natural gas has helped drive the industry forward. Yet, green hydrogen, or hydrogen produced by using renewable energy, remains more costly than its higher-emitting counterparts, blue and grey hydrogen.
In the U.S., as more renewables are adopted into the grid and more electrolyzers are deployed, the less costly the process may become. BloombergNEF also predicts that green hydrogen may be more cost-effective than fossil fuel-generated hydrogen by 2030 in five major global economies.
