Producing hydrogen from wind! Yeah, this innovative “wind to hydrogen” research is signed at a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Xcel Energy just recently.
In this project, researchers will analyze and compare production of hydrogen from wind power and the electric grid. It is through electrolysis, hydrogen will be produced. Electrolysis is the process that uses electricity by spliting water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Ben Kroposki, senior engineer in NREL’s Center for Electric and Hydrogen Technologies and Systems said, One unique feature of this system is the direct connection between the wind turbine and the electrolyzer, which will make the system more efficient.
In this project, Xcel Energy plans to invest more than $1.25 million and NREL and the Department of Energy $750,000 approximately.
