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Plug Selected by U.S. DOE for Several Project Awards to Advance Hydrogen Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell Technologies 

Published Date
Author Sandra Saathoff

Plug is thrilled to announce that we have been selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) for a total of nine awards for Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling Activities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The recent award selections demonstrate Plug’s industry leadership and pave the way for accelerating our technology and manufacturing capabilities.  

“Plug is appreciative and excited about the DOE’s clean energy manufacturing initiatives and the announced awards. We believe that they will have a profound impact on Plug’s industry-leading manufacturing capabilities in fuel cell and electrolyzer MEAs (Membrane Electrode Assemblies) and stacks,” said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug. “Congress has enacted these policies and enabled these programs to advance hydrogen and fuel cells as vital components of the United States’ energy and climate strategy.  These cost-shared programs will advance Plug’s fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturing capacities, create good paying jobs in New York, and fortify the region’s leadership in the national clean energy transition.” 

Of the nine awards, Plug has been selected as a prime contractor on three and subcontractor on six. DOE and the selected applicants must undergo a negotiation process before any funding is issued.  

Source: DOE

Prime Contractor Funding Selections 

  • High Volume Fuel Cell Manufacturing, Stack Assembly, and Final Test: This project will enable additional domestic manufacturing capacity of 20,000 fuel cell stacks per year and demonstrate an innovative expansion of Plug’s current manufacturing line. 
  • Gigawatt Scale Electrolyzer Component Manufacturing and Stack Assembly: This project will scale up manufacturing of proton exchange membrane electrolyzer stacks to the multi-GW scale, driving down costs to meet DOE targets. This project will automate membrane electrode assembly fabrication and stack assembly and enable automated inspection with machine learning to accelerate factory acceptance testing.   
  • Advanced PEM Electrolyzer Membrane for Hydrogen Crossover Mitigation: This project will develop membranes for a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer that avoids the use of perfluorinated materials. Developments will include the incorporation of additives to enable safe, pressurized electrolyzer operation.   

Sub-Contractor Funding Selections 

  • Advanced hydrocarbon proton exchange ionomer and membrane scale-up and electrode optimization for heavy-duty fuel cells: The project will focus on reducing fluorinated compounds in fuel cell manufacturing. The project will develop innovative hydrocarbon membranes to replace incumbent fluorinated materials. 
  • Alkaline stable, non-porous, anion exchange ionomer and membrane separator scale-up for liquid alkaline electrolysis: This project will scale up manufacturing of an advanced alkaline exchange membrane with improved manufacturing processes for low-temperature electrolyzers. The membrane will be demonstrated in an alkaline electrolyzer stack to illustrate the cost reduction potential and pathway to achieving DOE cost and performance targets. If successful, this project could help expand the domestic supply chain for alkaline electrolyzer membranes. 
  • H2CIRC: This consortium will develop and demonstrate recycling technology approaches for end-of-life and critical supply chain challenges for proton exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. The goal of the project is to provide a blueprint for the hydrogen industry to efficiently and sustainably recover and recycle materials and components from fuel cells and electrolyzers. 
  • High-Throughput Anode Packs with Advanced Porous Transport Layers: This project will develop a unitized anode pack designed for high-throughput manufacturing of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers. The anode pack will incorporate a novel micro-expanded porous transport layer to improve performance. The novel anode pack will be evaluated by an electrolyzer manufacturer and, if proven successful, the anode pack could be considered for scale-up and commercialization. 
  • SPIN into Power: Scaled Production of Integrated Nonwoven Gas Diffusion Layers for Fuel Cells: This project will focus on creating a new supply chain pathway for key fuel cell components with improved performance over the current state-of-the-art. The project will strengthen the domestic supply chain for gas diffusion layers for low-cost fuel cells. 
  • Towards Scalable Manufacture of Low Iridium Loading Catalyst for Durable PEM Water Electrolyzers (PEM-WE): This project will guide the development of non-precious metal catalyst supports for proton exchange membrane electrolyzers that can enable cost reduction without sacrificing performance and durability. 

Plug followed DOE’s highly selective award process for this funding opportunity. It began with the creation of proposal teams that included Plug and external partners, followed by the submission of concept papers, and then in-depth full proposals detailing how the team would develop high-performance fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies to meet the DOE’s technical and decarbonization goals. Drs. Karen Swider Lyons, Principal R&D Engineer, and Corky Mittlesteadt, VP Electrolyzer Technology, led the fuel cell and electrolyzer efforts, respectively, ensuring the proposals’ alignment with Plug’s technology and manufacturing roadmaps. 

The proposals describe and afford robust community benefits in furtherance of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 initiatives. Plug will engage with partner organizations to positively impact the surrounding communities (particularly historically disadvantaged communities) by creating economic, environmental and societal benefits through these awards. Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA), energy equity and workforce development opportunities are cornerstones of these plans, which can help cement Plug as an engaged community partner. 

Plug is honored to be selected for these awards, which are demonstrative of our manufacturing leadership in the United States and dedication to a clean energy future. We extend our gratitude to Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Joe Morelle, and Congressman Paul Tonko, who have continuously supported Plug and the clean hydrogen industry.  

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law is helping supercharge Upstate NY’s clean hydrogen sector. With this federal funding, Plug Power and other cutting-edge companies will be able to increase production capacity and spark new innovation to reach the next frontier of clean hydrogen manufacturing and research, all while supporting good paying clean energy jobs and boosting the fight against climate change” said Senator Schumer. “Clean green hydrogen is one of the most exciting forms of new energy production and with the major federal investments being made thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act I championed, Upstate NY is poised to lead the way in powering America’s clean energy future.”  

“Investing in clean energy manufacturing is vital to fighting climate change. With this federal funding, Plug Power and other innovative companies will be able to accelerate their critical work and continue to show the world that New York is leading the way in clean hydrogen technology,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to have fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to boost the manufacturing capabilities of clean energy companies like Plug Power, all while creating good-paying jobs for communities in Upstate New York. I look forward to seeing the innovative work that results from these awards and will continue to fight to bring federal dollars home to create a greener future.”

“New York is a leader in green energy and innovative technologies—thanks in no small part to the work of Rochester businesses like Plug Power and Ionomer Innovations,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “I congratulate them on this significant investment, which is a testament to the cutting-edge work they do to bring our economy into its green energy future. I’m proud to have worked alongside Senator Schumer to secure this funding, and I look forward to more opportunities to work alongside him and my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to bring more federal investments like this one home to Rochester.” 

The post Plug Selected by U.S. DOE for Several Project Awards to Advance Hydrogen Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell Technologies  first appeared on Plug Power.

The post Plug Selected by U.S. DOE for Several Project Awards to Advance Hydrogen Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell Technologies  appeared first on Plug Power.