US power generation firm Invenergy has started commercial operations of its first clean hydrogen project in Illinois, using the first molecules to cool natural gas turbines.
The Sauk Valley Hydrogen facility has kicked off hydrogen production using a small-scale Ohmium PEM electrolyser powered by Invenergy’s co-located solar facility.
Producing up to 40 tonnes of hydrogen per year, H2 View estimates the electrolyser system to have a capacity of around 150kW.
The first volumes of hydrogen have been used as a cooling agent for a turbine generator at Invenergy’s 980MW natural gas facility adjacent to the installation. However, the company already has plans to sell hydrogen offsite.
Hydrogen is expected to be supplied to liquid fuel producer Aether Fuels, which is looking to commercialise its power-to-liquid (PtL) technology.
The company has been operating a 1.5-gallon-per-day (gpd) pilot plant in the Chicago area since 2021 and plans to bring a 100-gpd demonstration project online this year.
Conor Madigan, Aether Fuels CEO, said the firm was “fortunate” to secure the first delivery from the Invenergy installation.
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