Cummins Using Hydrogen Technology to Enable Renewable Energy for Public Utilities in Washington with the Largest Electrolyzer...
August 26 2020 - 8:37AM
Business Wire
Global technology and power solutions leader Cummins Inc. (NYSE:
CMI) will provide its 5-megawatt PEM electrolyzer to enable
renewable energy for the Douglas County Public Utility District
(Douglas County PUD) in Washington state. The Cummins electrolyzer
will be dedicated to producing hydrogen from renewable energy and
will be the largest, as well as first of its kind in use by a
public utility, in the United States.
Expected to be operational in 2021, the new renewable hydrogen
facility allows the Douglas County PUD to manufacture commercial
hydrogen using electrolysis to harvest hydrogen from water from
Wells Dam on the Columbia River. The PEM electrolyzer system, which
stands for proton exchange membrane, takes the excess renewable
energy and through a chemical reaction splits water into hydrogen
and oxygen. The hydrogen acts as an energy carrier and the oxygen
is released into the air. The hydrogen can then be stored in a gas
or liquid state to be used in a multitude of applications,
including fuel cell electric mobility. The electrolyzer is powered
by clean hydroelectricity, so the production of hydrogen does not
generate any carbon emissions.
“At Cummins, we believe that scaling hydrogen technologies will
continue to grow low-carbon solutions,” said Amy Davis, Cummins
Vice President and President of New Power, the company’s
alternative power business. “It takes enterprises, governments and
utilities working together, like what we have done with Douglas
County PUD, to make alternative power a reality and promote a more
sustainable world. Douglas County PUD is just one example of how
Cummins is expanding the energy market and driving new power
solutions for our customers.”
The electrolyzer technology provides a means to address one of
the largest dilemmas in the renewable energy industry, which is how
to store the energy when it’s not in demand. Cummins’ PEM
electrolyzers, like Douglas County PUD’s electrolyzer plant,
enables utilities to store the excess energy that they would
typically sell off to the market at a financial loss, or not
harness at all, and instead store that energy to sell into a new
green hydrogen market. Additionally, it creates a way for utilities
to engage in new market opportunities outside of their typical
service area, removing growth barriers often faced in the
industry.
“Douglas County PUD is excited to work with Cummins’ Fuel Cell
and Hydrogen Technologies on our 5-megawatt hydrogen electrolyzer
project. This hydrogen plant will create efficiencies for our Wells
Hydroelectric Project and create a new renewable hydrogen gas
resource for our community,” said Gary Ivory, General Manager of
Douglas County PUD. “As the first renewable hydrogen production
plant in Washington State, we understand the importance of great
partners, and we believe Cummins’ will help us build a successful
project.”
This electrolyzer project is a part of an initial 5-megawatt
project made possible by the passage of Senate Bill 5588 in
Washington state last year, which authorized public utility
districts to make and sell hydrogen. It will be built in the Baker
Flats Industrial Park, which is located outside East Wenatchee and
will use surplus hydropower from the Wells Dam Facility to produce
renewable hydrogen.
“This project is a watershed, a first step into the huge
economic and environmental opportunity that our growing use of
clean power offers,” said Ken Dragoon, Executive Director of the
Renewable Hydrogen Alliance. “For the first time, the Northwest
will produce clean fuels from renewable electricity—and the Douglas
County PUD’s innovative plan will use their electrolyzer’s
flexibility to free up valuable capacity on their dam.”
Already a leader in advanced diesel, natural gas and battery
technologies, Cummins is rapidly growing its hydrogen capabilities
and the company continues to deepen its expertise in fuel cell
technologies. Cummins uses fuel cell and hydrogen technologies to
power a variety of applications, including transit buses,
semi-trucks, delivery trucks, refuse trucks and passenger trains
and has made several announcements in the past year related to
hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. These include the acquisition
of Hydrogenics Corporation in September 2019, providing Cummins
with both PEM, alkaline fuel cells, and electrolyzers used to
generate hydrogen. Cummins has also invested in LOOP Energy, signed
a memo of understanding with Hyundai Motor Company, entered an
agreement to form a joint venture with NPROXX, and invested in the
development of solid oxide fuel cells. For more examples of how
Cummins has supported new firsts in the fuel cell and hydrogen
industry and for more information about Cummins Fuel Cell and
Hydrogen Technologies, please visit www.cummins.com/hydrogen.
About Cummins Inc.
Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of
complementary business segments that design, manufacture,
distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The
company’s products range from diesel, natural gas, electric and
hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including
filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls
systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric
power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems,
hydrogen generation and fuel cell products. Headquartered in
Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins
employs approximately 61,600 people committed to powering a more
prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility
priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment
and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online,
through a network of company-owned and independent distributor
locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and
earned about $2.3 billion on sales of $23.6 billion in 2019. See
how Cummins is powering a world that’s always on by accessing news
releases and more information at
https://www.cummins.com/always-on.
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Jon Mills Cummins Inc. Phone: 317-658-4540 Email:
jon.mills@cummins.com
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