The ammonia energy community has an opportunity to provide input to the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) as it defines priority areas for its new “H2 @ Scale” initiative. The USDOE posted a Request for Information (RFI) on September 9. Interested parties are invited to comment on all aspects of the H2 @ Scale concept. The deadline for comments is November 4. A link to the RFI is provided below.
The H2 @ Scale initiative is the work of a cross-institutional team drawn from the United States’ National Laboratories. In April 2016, the team presented its concept at a USDOE “Big Idea Summit.” The concept was embraced and is now being pursued by a Steering Committee and seven specialist teams, including Low-Temperature Generation, High-Temperature Generation, Storage and Distribution, Utilization, and Future Electric Grid.
The RFI seeks “input on priority RD&D areas to enable deep decarbonization of industrial, transportation, and power generation sectors through wide-scale deployment of hydrogen.” Its stated purpose is to “solicit feedback, project ideas, and other guidance” on six topics:
- The overall concept of H2@Scale
- Integration of hydrogen production with the electricity grid, and with storage and pipeline infrastructure
- Integration of hydrogen production with process heat, such as from nuclear generation, industrial waste heat sources, or concentrated solar power
- Leveraging stranded renewables, and value-added applications for hydrogen
- Hydrogen from fossil fuels
- Other
Although ammonia as a complementary energy carrier is not mentioned in the RFI, it does figure in the thinking of the H2 @ Scale proponents. In the initiative’s introductory Webinar (links below), the Steering Committee presenter mentioned ammonia several times, including as a vector that could move energy from stranded wind resources to geographically distant markets.
Long-term ammonia energy proponent Bill Leighty, who brought the H2 @ Scale initiative to our attention, believes that a strong response from the ammonia energy community can meaningfully and constructively influence the thinking of the H2 @ Scale leaders.
LINKS:
See the RFI online.
View the Webinar.
