Australian company Woodside has leased 94 acres of land in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to build a hydrogen production plant capable of producing 90 liquid tons of fuel per day by 2025.
The company made an announcement about its H2OK project earlier this month, but did not provide any financial information.
Woodside may invest tens of millions of dollars in the project if everything goes according to plan.
The Oklahoma Hydrogen Production, Transportation, and Infrastructure Task Force recently released a state-generated analysis on Oklahoma’s ability to produce, store, and supply hydrogen as an environmentally friendly alternative fuel that can power vehicles and generate electricity, prompting Woodside’s announcement.
According to the report, Oklahoma’s economy could grow by more than 6,000 jobs if the recommendations are implemented.
It’s possible that the state’s economy could benefit from hydrogen production by $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion annually if demand for the fuel grows as expected.
Electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen is something that Woodside is looking into.
Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar will be used to produce “green hydrogen” at the Ardmore facility.
According to the Oklahoma report, the state produces 68 percent more energy than it needs and exports the rest.
Cracking natural gas (using steam methane reforming) and storing the hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) produced underground in depleted oil-and-gas reservoirs could produce the fuel, dubbed “blue hydrogen,” at processing plants in Oklahoma across the state. Pipelines could also be used to transport fuel to end users.
Scientific and regulatory experience in Oklahoma puts it ahead of other states in dealing with hydrogen and carbon storage, according to a new report.
