Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO). The newsletter includes a recap of recent news and events, as well as a preview of upcoming activities. Newsletter archives can be found on the website.
In this issue:
- In the News
- Funding Opportunities and Requests for Information
- Webinars and Workshops
- Studies, Reports, and Publications
- National Laboratory, Principal Investigator, and Project Teams Spotlights
In the News
DOE Welcomes Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and New Leadership
Earlier this year, Jennifer M. Granholm became the 16th U.S. Secretary of Energy, making her the second woman in this role in the Department’s history. Other additions to the DOE leadership team include David Turk as DOE’s Deputy Secretary and Kelly Speakes-Backman as the Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Watch Secretary Granholm’s video message and read her blog post to the American people explaining how the DOE team will tackle climate change by deploying clean energy solutions that deliver cheap, abundant, and clean power to fuel America’s clean energy revolution.
President Biden’s American Jobs Plan Covers Deployments in Hydrogen
On March 31, President Biden unveiled the American Jobs Plan to invest in activities that will create millions of American jobs, catapult our country’s infrastructure to new frontiers, and prioritize benefits for communities suffering racial injustice, rural communities, and communities impacted by the market-based transition to clean energy. Part of this Plan will include pairing an investment in 15 decarbonized hydrogen demonstration projects in distressed communities with a new production tax credit.
Secretary Granholm Cements Commitment to Hydrogen at the Leaders Summit on Climate
On April 22–23, President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate convened 40 world leaders to rally the world in tackling the climate crisis and charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy. DOE Secretary Granholm spoke on the Summit’s second day, emphasizing the need to come together to reduce the cost of clean energy solutions, including hydrogen, to turn the tide on the climate crisis. Secretary Granholm’s remarks highlighted the Department’s commitment to make blue and green hydrogen market-ready, including plans to announce new and bolder goals in next-generation energy technologies including hydrogen, carbon capture, industrial fuels, and energy storage.
Funding Opportunities and Requests for Information
The “Supertruck 3” Funding Opportunity Includes Hydrogen Trucks
On April 15, EERE issued the “Supertruck 3” funding opportunity, covering $100 million in funding over four years (subject to appropriations) to pioneer electrified medium- and heavy-duty truck concepts, including hydrogen fuel cell technologies, with significant improvements in efficiency and potential for deep emission reduction. Secretary Granholm announced the funding opportunity during a fireside chat with truck industry representatives and truck drivers discussing how new, clean technology concepts can impact the environment and their jobs. Concept papers and full applications under this funding opportunity are due on May 13 and July 12, respectively.
EERE Is Searching for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Fellows to Join the Team
EERE’s HFTO, through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education’s (ORISE) fellowship program, is searching for enthusiastic, driven, and committed professionals to work with our hydrogen technologies and fuel cell research and development teams. Open opportunities include two fellowships in fuel cells, one in hydrogen production, and one in hydrogen infrastructure. These vacancies will remain live on the websites until EERE HFTO has selected qualified candidates.
Webinars and Workshops
H2IQ Hour Webinar Recordings and Presentations Are Available for Viewing
HFTO hosted monthly H2IQ Hour webinars to share information about the status and progress of DOE-funded hydrogen and fuel cell projects and initiatives. Recent H2IQ Hour topics included H2@Scale technical and economic analyses, national lab efforts engaging with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, hydrogen’s role in long-duration energy storage, and federal regulations relevant to hydrogen. Recordings and presentation slides are available on the H2IQ Hour webinar page.
May 27 H2IQ Hour: Ammonia: From Fertilizer to Energy Carrier
Join this month’s H2IQ Hour on May 27, 2021, at 12 p.m. ET, to hear about ammonia research and development (R&D) efforts at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO). In this H2IQ Hour, Grigorii Soloveichik of HFTO will provide an overview of how ammonia, or NH3, can play a role to enable clean hydrogen production and support DOE’s goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Register today.
DOE Hydrogen Program AMR Registration Is Open
The 2021 virtual DOE’s Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR) will take place June 7–11, showcasing how DOE’s hydrogen portfolio works to effectively address climate change and equitably. Registration is required, but the 2021 AMR is open to the public and free to attend.
Studies, Reports, and Publications
Program Record Documents Cost of Hydrogen Fueling Stations
This program record indicated the capital equipment cost for new hydrogen stations ranges between $1,200 kilograms of hydrogen dispensed per day (kg/day) and $3,000 kg/day based on information from new hydrogen fueling stations awarded in California. The station capacity ranged from approximately 770 kg/day to 1,620 kg/day, and all stations were designed with 700-bar fueling capability for light-duty vehicles.
Program Record Estimates Durability—Adjusted Fuel Cell System Cost
This program record projected the cost of an 80-kWnet automotive polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system to be $76/kWnet at a manufacturing volume of 10,000 units/year. This cost is adjusted for a fuel cell system durability of 8,000 hours of on-road operation.
National Laboratory, Principal Investigator, and Project Teams Spotlights
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Researcher Dr. Dong Ding Receives the Asian American Most Promising Engineer Award
Dr. Dong Ding from Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was the recipient of the Most Promising Engineer Award at this year’s Asian American Engineer of the Year Awards. The award recognizes outstanding Asian American professionals in science and engineering for their technical achievements, leadership, and public service. At INL, Dr. Ding oversees fuel cell and hydrogen-related research projects and leads a team of researchers focusing on electrochemical processing and electrocatalysis for clean energy storage and conversion.
ORNL’s Electro-Active’s Team Wins NREL’s Industry Growth Forum Emerging Markets Award
Electro-Active Technologies Inc., a participant in Cohort 7 of the DOE’s Energy I-Corps alongside participation from Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), is the winner of NREL’s Industry Growth Forum Emerging Markets Award. The award recognized the team’s innovative work developing a modular system to convert food waste and renewable electricity into affordable, renewable hydrogen.