Hydrogen fuel technology could power Carmel's fleet
An Indiana entrepreneur is bringing cleaner-burning, more fuel-efficient technology to the city of Carmel's fleet of vehicles to save money and reduce emissions. That's how it works.
Dwight Adams, dwight.adams@indystar.com
Indiana will receive part of a $1 billion investment in hydrogen production.
The The federal government today announced $7 billion in funding for seven regional hubs Hoosiers across the US stand to gain jobs and other economic development benefits through it Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogenaccording to the US Department of Energy.
The Midwest Hub includes Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. The three states could see additional private sector investment as well as 13,600 direct jobs shared between them, the DOE said.
New funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act lays the foundation for America's clean energy transition, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a press release. The hope is that hydrogen will be a less volatile, more affordable and cleaner energy option for Americans, Granholm added.
But while state and business leaders are defending the Biden administration's investment, environmental advocates in Indiana are concerned about the lack of transparency and subsidizing old carbon emitters to remain dependent on fossil fuels.
Chris Chyung, executive director of Indiana Conservation Voters, said in a statement that the funding could be a game-changer for Hoosiers, but the hard part will be making sure the hub's programs actually reduce emissions.
So what exactly is a hydrogen node?
The Midwest Hub, known as MachH2, is one of seven across the country that will do so produce hydrogen as a fuel source for the industrial and manufacturing sectors of the region. That hub will be located at or near BP's Whiting, Ind., refinery, which has been in operation for more than 130 years. The investment will also include the creation of a “hydrogen mobility corridor” in Indiana and neighboring states.
The Midwest will largely contain what's called blue-hydrogen (more on that below), according to Gov. Eric Holcomb.
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Who is part of the Midwest Hub?
The node consists of more than 70 public and private organizations throughout Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and some in Wisconsin who support and are part of the project. In Indiana, those organizations include the Indiana Economic Development Corp., Purdue University, London-based BP, the Energy Systems Network and others.
What is Indiana's role and response?
This hub is strategically located in a key US industrial, manufacturing and transportation corridor, according to the DOE. It is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in these sectors — which are very prominent in Indiana. For example, Indiana is home to more than a quarter of the nation's steel production capacity.
Indiana Commerce Secretary David Rosenberg, in an emailed statement, said the state is focused on building an economy of the future.
“This new hydrogen hub will accelerate our clean energy efforts, cultivating new energy sources for both industry and residents, while making Indiana – and the Midwest region – a destination of excellence in hydrogen technology,” he said. .
After today's billion dollar investment in the Midwest, Holcomb focused on BP's Whiting facility in a news releasesaying the company's blue-hydrogen project will “bite Indiana's lead in the new energy economy.”
What is hydrogen used for?
Hydrogen tank they have a variety of uses and technology continues to advance to make sectors ready to use the fuel. More specifically, the hub is intended to help replace carbon-based fuels used in steel and glass production, power generation, heavy-duty transportation, refining, and aviation fuel.
All of these industries are currently some of the top emitters of greenhouse gases as well as harmful particulate matter in Indiana.
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How is hydrogen produced?
There are several ways in which hydrogen can be produced, all of which require energy, but the two main ones are called green and blue hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is when the energy used to power the process comes from renewable sources such as wind or solar energy. Blue hydrogen, on the other hand, produces hydrogen using natural gas. To be considered blue hydrogen, carbon emissions from natural gas must be captured and stored underground in a process called carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS.
Is hydrogen clean energy?
There is a lot of debate around this question. Hydrogen itself is pure: when burned, it produces energy in the form of heat and water as a byproduct. As a result, no climate-warming carbon dioxide is created in the process.
However, you cannot separate from this question how hydrogen is produced. Node advocates say hydrogen is a clean energy source no matter how it's produced — even blue hydrogen, because carbon emissions are captured and stored.
Some environmentalists disagree. While they see green hydrogen as a clean option that could help reduce emissions across the industry, they are concerned about the reliance on blue hydrogen at the Midwest Hub.
The Citizens Action Coalition, an Indiana consumer advocacy group focused on energy issues, said it maintains its “strong opposition” to the continued extraction and burning of fossil fuels.
“Blue hydrogen is the wrong solution to climate change because it relies on fossil gas as a feedstock and is entirely dependent on the dangerous system that is CCS,” CAC Executive Director Kerwin Olson told IndyStar.
He and the organization also oppose carbon sequestration because they said it relies on a vast network of pipelines that transport carbon dioxide under tremendous pressure and then store it on farmland and other areas throughout Indiana and the region.
What is the timeline?
It is unclear at this time what the next steps are to move forward with the Midwest Hub, both across the region and in Indiana.
This state has already taken some steps towards the production of hydrogen that is going to happen through the Hub. In September 2022, Holcomb signed Parliamentary Law 1209 into law, creating a regulatory framework for companies to store sequestered carbon dioxide underground in Indiana.
In the same month Holcomb he joined a coalition of seven other Midwest governors to collaborate on a hydrogen market and supply chain to develop an industry in the region.
The hydrogen hubs will be deployed in four stages, according to the DOE, and the public is encouraged to participate in the process. Interested parties and community members can learn more about its hubs by emailing the department at Engage_H2Hubs@hq.doe.gov. For questions specifically about the Midwest Hub, please email at MidwestH2Hub@hq.doe.gov.
Karl Schneider is an environment reporter for IndyStar. He can be reached at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk
Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar environmental reporters: Sign up Scrub on Facebook.
IndyStar's environmental reporting work is made possible through the generous support of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
