New alliance targets collaboration, advocacy and education on clean hydrogen in Indiana
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Indianapolis-based Energy Systems Network (ESN) is launching a network of industry partners designed to support the development of the clean hydrogen market in the Midwest.
The goal of the Hydrogen Industry Alliance is to foster collaboration and education on the increasingly varied uses of clean hydrogen.
The alliance is part of a growing focus on hydrogen in Indiana, which is part of a coalition involving Illinois and Michigan that was selected as one of seven regional hydrogen hubs by the Biden administration last fall.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, ESN President and CEO Paul Mitchell said they have seen a growing interest in hydrogen among different companies and institutions throughout the state.
“We started thinking it was more of a mobility play where people will use hydrogen fuel cells instead of electric batteries but then realized there’s uses of hydrogen in industrial processes and refineries,” Mitchell said. “And you can blend hydrogen with natural gas, and that can reduce the CO2 impact of natural gas consumption. We realized it wasn’t like a niche product that was specific to one set of companies, that it’s actually this broad energy play.”
Mitchell said that realization was eye opening for ESN, which then realized that other organizations, companies, legislators and academic institutions might not have the same awareness, which created a need to establish a place where companies can discuss their hydrogen plans and also educate the public on the benefits of clean hydrogen.
There is no shortage of commercial interest in clean hydrogen, Mitchell said, but he notes that sustained development requires market-driven policies that will attract private investment.
He said the creation of the Hydrogen Industry Alliance will help advocate for such policies and practices.
“We have heard from companies across the energy, manufacturing, and transportation sectors who desire a best-in-class industry-led platform for commercial collaboration, advocacy, and education,” Mitchell said. “This is exactly why we are launching the Hydrogen Industry Alliance.”
Last October, U.S. Department of Energy said it would award up to $1 billion in grant funding to the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, or MachH2, to establish a hydrogen hub, which will be located at the BP Whiting Refinery in northwest Indiana.
The project, which could begin construction next year, is expected to generate additional major investment in the region, up to $6 billion, Congressman Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said in February.
But Neil Banwart, managing director of hydrogen at ESN and chief integration officer for MachH2, said that project is just the start of Indiana’s hydrogen journey.
“We’ve seen many companies very interested in what’s happening with the hydrogen hub, wanting to be involved in the hydrogen industry really across the Midwest,” Banwart said. “So that’s some good seed money, but we think there’s tremendous amount of potential outside of that hydrogen hub opportunity.”
Seven inaugural members have committed to joining the Hydrogen Industry Alliance, with more expected to join in the future. They are BP, Doral Group H2, Duke Energy Indiana, The Heritage Group, Hoosier Energy, Itochu Corp., and MISO.
ESN says more members will be added on a select basis to ensure a balance of industry representation, including technology supply, production, delivery, and consumption in the energy, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
“This alliance will play a key role in commercial collaboration, advocacy, and education, three key pillars to realize the widescale adoption of hydrogen technology,” BP Director of Midwest Hydrogen & CCS Rushabh Shah said in written remarks.
Mitchell reiterated the varied uses of hydrogen, which means they wanted to have a diverse set of companies sitting around the table.
“If you look at that mix of companies that are going to be part of this from the very beginning…it’s not your typical bedfellows that are coming together around this topic,” he said. “I think that’s, frankly, a strength of the opportunity because policymakers and communities are going to be hearing about this topic from multiple sources and multiple constituencies that maybe aren’t always on the same side.”
The inaugural meeting of the alliance will take place on May 22, with more meetings planned for every quarter. Banwart said the member will focus on solidifying the alliance’s mission.
The Hydrogen Industry Alliance is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit, which allows the organization to establish a fee-based membership and creates more flexibility when engaging with elected officials.
Any entity interested in learning more can contact the alliance via email or visit the alliance’s website.