US Department of Energy Announces Funding to Support Hydrogen Energy Earthshot Projects to Lower Cost, Advance Breakthroughs for Clean Hydrogen Technology

On July 7, 2021, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $52.5 million to fund 31 projects “to advance next-generation clean hydrogen technologies and support DOE’s recently announced Hydrogen Energy Earthshot initiative¹ to reduce the cost and accelerate breakthroughs in the clean hydrogen sector.”

The announcement stated that:

• $36 million from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will fund 19 projects on:
  • “Electrolysis, a process to produce hydrogen using electricity and water, with improved manufacturing methods and streamlined assembly to reduce cost.”
  • “Clean hydrogen production, including biological and electrochemical approaches.”
  • “Fuel cell subsystems and components that are more efficient, durable, and designed for heavy-duty applications.”
  • “Domestic hydrogen supply chain components and refueling technologies.”
  • “Analyses to assess the cost and performance of fuel cell systems, hydrogen production pathways, and hydrogen storage technologies.”
• $16.5 million from the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) will fund 12 projects on:
  • “Degradation mechanisms and pathways in high temperature reversible solid oxide cells (SOC) materials that helps assess metrics about cost, performance, durability.”
  • “Performance, reliability, and durability for hydrogen production using reversible solid oxide cells (R-SOC) systems.”
  • “Cost reductions via improvements in materials, manufacturing and microstructure improvements in R-SOC technologies for hydrogen production.”
  • “Initial engineering design of a commercial-scale advanced carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) system from steam methane reforming plants.”
  • “Initial engineering design of a commercial-scale advanced CCUS system from autothermal methane reforming plants.”
  • “Development of a gas turbine combustion system for 100 percent hydrogen fired and mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas.”

¹ Described in our June 7, 2021, Legal Update “In Its First "Energy Earthshot," the US Department of Energy Launches Its "Hydrogen Shot" Initiative.”