Energy Harbor and Toledo's Great Lakes hydrogen plan

14 September 2022

Energy Harbor has announced it is joining forces with the University of Toledo, major companies in the region and several US DOE laboratories to form an industry-led push to turn "the Midwest into a leading low-carbon fuel production centre".

Davis-Besse nuclear power plant (Image: Energy Harbor)

Using power generated by Energy Harbor’s Davis-Besse nuclear power plant, Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen will produce clean hydrogen through water electrolysis. The plan is aligned with the DOE’s Hydrogen Shot goals and, the company says, the electrolysis system "avoids the challenge of capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide".

Frank Calzonetti, vice president for research at The University of Toledo, said the aim was "to ensure that the Midwest is a leader in a decarbonisation transition so that regional industries and supply chains are globally competitive, and opportunities are created for workers and their communities".

David Hamilton, Energy Harbor’s COO and Chief Nuclear Officer said: "The development of the Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen project is an important step in the transformation of northwest Ohio and the regions around our nuclear plants into Clean Energy Centers that will be the necessary 24/7 carbon free, infrastructure backbone of the US economy."

The DOE's Hydrogen Shot establishes a framework and foundation for clean hydrogen deployment which includes support for demonstration projects. According to the DOE hydrogen from renewable energy costs about USD5 per kilogram and achieving the Hydrogen Shot’s 80% cost reduction goal could unlock new markets for hydrogen, including steel manufacturing, clean ammonia, energy storage, and heavy-duty trucks.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News