The U.S. Dept. of Energy closed on a $504.4-million loan guarantee for a hydrogen storage hub in Utah, helping advance a project to replace a coal-fired power plant with a facility using renewable energy sources. Officials say the loan signals the Energy Dept. Loan Programs Office's commitment to ramping up support for clean energy technology projects.
The Advanced Clean Energy Storage project in Delta will be the world’s largest clean hydrogen storage facility, DOE officials say. As ENR previously reported, the estimated $1-billion project will “capture” surplus renewable energy to power electrolysis equipment converting water into hydrogen. The facility will then store the hydrogen underground in a pair of 4.5-million-barrel salt caverns until it is needed to generate power.