Plug Power Inc. an American company tasked with the responsibility of developing hydrogen fuel cell systems to replace the current-day batteries and ABB, a Swedish multinational corporation that deals mainly in power and heavy electric equipment are set to work together. In their already signed deal, the two giants will be seeking to make it possible for the world to use clean-burning hydrogen soon in vehicles and even other applications. Their collaboration is hailed as one of the game changers given the nature of the two companies involved and what they are set to do in the coming days.
Globally, Plug Power is the largest buyer of liquid H2, so ABB will be supplying electrical systems to it in a bid to help in the building of the new hydrogen plants in the US. More precisely, ABB will be providing systems for two new plants that Plug Power is currently building. The two plants are part of the initiatives in the US to make sure that production and supply of hydrogen will be smooth in the next few years. Most importantly, they seek to facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to the use of clean and sustainable green hydrogen.
In the first plant that is named “Project Gateway” and is located in Gennessee County in Upstate New York, Plug Power seeks to hit a production capacity of 45 metric tons of liquid hydrogen daily. Further, in the second plant that is located in Camden County, southeastern Georgia, the company targets producing 15 tons of liquid hydrogen per day. Construction works are already ongoing in the sites where the two plants are located. Given the number of resources committed and the partnerships established to speed up the completion of the plants, production activities of liquid hydrogen in the two plants are expected to begin in the year 2023.
According to Plug Power, liquid hydrogen produced in the two plants will majorly be used in the transportation and logistics sectors. Arguably, the successful use of hydrogen in these sectors will boost efforts to decarbonize them and reduce unwanted carbon emissions. There are, however, a few challenges to overcome before these sectors are convincingly decarbonized. Fortunately, with the level of commitment shown by collaborators, there is no doubt that any technical and economic challenges currently faced will be sorted.
While the value of the contract between Plug Power and ABB is not public, the works ongoing at the two plants are valued at between $200 and $300 million. This is according to the reports and statements given by the vice president of Plug Power, Kevin Kopczynski. With these and many other initiatives, there is no doubt that the US and, indeed, the whole world is keen on making it possible to reduce the use of fossil-based fuel sources and replace them with sustainable green hydrogen. It is just a matter of time.
