U.S. Department of Energy Announces $18 Million for Teams to Enable the Growth of Hydrogen Production
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) today announced $18 million for 9 projects to enable the growth of hydrogen as a replacement for fossil fuels. Hydrogen is increasingly seen as a clean energy source and decarbonization agent for industry and transportation. Current global hydrogen production is roughly 100 million metric tonnes per year and, by 2050, the hydrogen market is projected to grow to $1.4 trillion. These projects seek to detect and quantify hydrogen emissions throughout the supply chain to maximize the climate benefits of hydrogen production. This supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to make America a leader in the clean energy economy.
“The ability to detect and quantify hydrogen will enable the safe and economical expansion of the hydrogen economy while mitigating its climate impact,” said ARPA-E Director Dr. Evelyn Wang. “These highly sensitive and selective hydrogen sensors combined with quantitative modeling will enable industry to achieve these goals.”
This capability will help mitigate any potential near-term warming effects that could result from a larger hydrogen economy. Future hydrogen production is projected to increase by a factor of 5 to 8 (between 470 Mt/yr187 and 800 Mt/yr188) by 2050, as hydrogen use expands to include energy storage, long-distance transportation, and industrial processes.
Hydrogen detection methods today are primarily focused on leaks that could pose a fire hazard, typically at volumes of parts per million. Significantly lower concentration leaks may have a climate impact without posing an immediate safety hazard. ARPA-E’s Exploratory Topic M: H2SENSE projects will work to create a new generation of sensors that will detect and quantify leaks at parts per billion volume to address this need.
The following teams selected under H2SENSE will seek to develop fully integrated systems that incorporate sensors, data transmission, dispersion and quantification analyses, and any peripheral components and modeling necessary for operation, calibration, and the accurate quantification of hydrogen:
- Aerodyne Research (Billerica, MA) will develop a sensor system that employs tracer gases and uses machine learning software to control sampling to produce live emissions results. ($1,880,484)
- Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO) will develop and validate a point sensor that uses sound waves following light absorption in a material sample for trace detection of hydrogen in the atmosphere. ($1,954,931)
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (Pittsburgh, PA) will employ fiber optics-based sensors that are selective for hydrogen for a kilometer-scale distance coverage for large-area emissions monitoring. ($1,700,000)
Access complete project descriptions for each of the projects selected for H2SENSE here.
ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact clean energy technologies across a wide range of technical areas that are strategic to America's energy security. Learn more about these efforts and ARPA-E's commitment to ensuring the United States continues to lead the world in developing and deploying advanced clean energy technologies.
Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.