EIA: Electrolyzers Account for a Small but Growing Portion of U.S. Hydrogen Production

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Electrolyzers, which use electricity to produce hydrogen from water ("green hydrogen"), are a growing clean-energy technology and source of hydrogen production in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Although the technology currently accounts for a small portion of U.S. hydrogen production, Industrial Info is tracking $1.69 billion worth of active and planned electrolyzer-manufacturing projects in the U.S.

Planned electrolyzer installations would expand capacity in the U.S. from the current 116 megawatts (MW) to 4,524 MW, according to information the EIA collected from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hydrogen Program Record as of May. This is approximately a 20% increase (0.8 GW) compared to 2023.

According to the EIA, if all the planned installations are implemented, annual U.S. hydrogen production via electrolysis could total about 0.72 million metric tons (MMmt) compared with the current 10 MMmt of hydrogen currently produced from fossil fuels and as a byproduct from other industrial sources.

The current 10 MMmt of production is primarily supplied by steam methane reforming (SMR) technology (7.6 MMmt), according to the EIA. SMR emits byproducts such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which must be captured and sequestered to reach net-zero emissions.

Meanwhile, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) (Paris, France), commercially deployed electrolyzers use alkaline or proton exchange membrane (PEM) technologies.

The EIA said their use varies by "construction cost, start-up times, and materials used to convert electricity to hydrogen."

Industrial Info is tracking projects in the U.S. aimed at boosted electrolyzer capacity, and therefore hydrogen production, including Electric Hydrogen's (Natick, Massachusetts) nearly complete PEM electrolyzer-manufacturing plant in Devens, Massachusetts, which will feature a production capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) worth of electrolyzers per year. The company has said the factory's stacks "will generate enough green hydrogen to eliminate up to 2.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year." The project is expected to be completed in September. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here to read the detailed project report.

In March, Electric Hydrogen said it reached a framework reservation agreement with utility, power-generation company and prospective green hydrogen developer AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) (Arlington, Virginia), in which AES would purchase up to 1 GW worth of Electric Hydrogen's 100-MW, large-scale electrolyzers.

Last month, the DOE awarded Electric Hydrogen a $46.3 million grant for the project, among other projects--such as Oslo, Norway-based Nel Hydrogen's US$250 million plant in Plymouth Charger Township, Michigan, a Detroit suburb--which will produce both alkaline and PEM electrolyzers at a capacity of up to 4 GW. Industrial Info is tracking the project with a medium probability (70-99%) of kicking off construction in August. Click here for the project report.

For more information on these projects and the related governmental grant program, see Industrial Info's May 22, 2024, article - DOE Report: Hydrogen Projects Receive $300 Million in 48C Tax Credit from IRS.

Another electrolyzer technology, although less commonly deployed, utilizes solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC). SOEC electrolyzers are more efficient than PEM or alkaline electrolyzers because they run at higher temperatures, requiring less electricity consumption and potentially reducing capital expenditure costs.

In March, Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) (San Jose, California) reached an agreement with Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) (London, England) to "collaborate with the goal of developing replicable, large-scale, solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEC) systems that would produce hydrogen for potential use at Shell assets," according to a related Bloom Energy press release.

Bloom produces SOEC electrolyzers at a plant in Fremont, California, where Bloom is developing an expansion project aimed at increasing production capacity. Industrial Info is tracking the project with a medium probability of kicking off construction next year. The project also received a grant through the federal government. Subscribers can click here to read the project report.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article and here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Click here for a full list of electrolyzer-manufacturing projects in the U.S.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).