Below are several of my key takeaways from Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2) Phase 1 Award Webinar.

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2 is one of seven United States Department of Energy (DOE) approved hydrogen hubs and one of three to have received their first tranche of federal funds.

The PNWH2 hub received $27 million from DOE to be used towards Phase 1 of their project. PNWH2 believes private sector partners will contribute an additional $120 million in Phase 1.

The initial $27 million in federal funds has been subscribed. However, additional Phase 1 funding may be available from private partners.

Phase 1, which is focused on design, is expected to take 12-18 months. If project milestones are met, Phase 2, project development, will follow accompanied by an additional tranche of federal funding. Over the 4 phases of the project, approximately $1 billion in federal funding is expected to be awarded and approximately $4 billion in private funds

The PNWH2 will consist of 8 project sites (nodes) across Washington, Oregon, and Montana. In addition to producing 10,000 good paying jobs, project sites will deliver solutions to:

· Produce clean H2 for heavy transport and public transportation

· Liquify H2 for heavy duty trucking, refining and cement manufacturing

· Produce fertilizer without the need for fossil fuel

The PNWH2 has built a robust community outreach program and has received buy-in from the surrounding communities, including 14 tribal nations. It was apparent that much effort and thought has been expended to involve the community, which is an essential part of the PNWH2 hub.

Labor is a PNWH2 priority. Unions are engaged. Education, training, and certification is available through a consortium of colleges and universities. PNWH2’s goal is to create 10,000 union jobs.

Finally, private partners are engaged through a program called CHARGE (Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-Fuels), which was initially created to connect companies working on sustainable material supply chains for clean energy and transportation (https://jcdream.org/charge/directory/). Now it is connecting companies who want to work in the PNWH2 hydrogen economy.

Below are some resources that you might find helpful. The webinar recording will be released shortly. However, you may have needed to attend the webinar to get access.

1. https://pnwh2.com/pnwh2-doe-phase1-award-status/

2. https://pnwh2.com/projects/

3. https://www.energy.gov/oced/h2hubs-local-engagement-opportunities

Good luck, PNWH2! I’ll be looking forward to your progress in Phase 1, your transition to Phase 2 and the adoption of H2 in your region.

Tim La Valle, Founder

HydrogenEconomy.org