Erik Mason, worldwide head of energy and supply trade for Nikola Motors, spoke at last week’s Arizona Manufacturers Council environmental problems breakfast on his company’s hydrogen breakthroughs and how hydrogen’s relevance in the energy industry is expanding.
Nikola relocated to Arizona in 2020, and the company currently employs over 1,000 individuals. The business plans to finish its manufacturing factory in Coolidge, Ariz., by 2023, with the capacity to produce 30,000 vehicles per year.
Nikola hopes to increase the manufacturing of both electric and hydrogen-powered automobiles through smart collaborations.
Nikola has teamed up with Wabash Valley Resources in Indiana, which generates carbon-negative hydrogen with the lowest carbon content in the US.
About the importance of hydrogen production, Mason remarked, “Clean hydrogen is one of the most practical approaches to cut emissions.”
Hydrogen, according to Mason, may be utilized to balance the electrical system.
“You can make a lot more hydrogen when there is surplus electricity during low power periods and draw it out during high power times,” Mason explained. “This implies there will be more electricity accessible when people are generally at home, and the efficiency of creating hydrogen power will be higher.”
Companies are evaluating the present pipeline infrastructure to see what density hydrogen can safely blend with natural gas to bring energy to homes and businesses, according to Mason.
Southwest Gas, Arizona’s largest natural gas provider, is doing research with Arizona State University to discover the safest and most ecologically friendly hydrogen/natural gas blend proportion.
Companies like Nikola are seeking more technology-neutral solutions in order to build a more cost-effective alternative energy source. For manufacturing hydrogen, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution; many methods can be utilized based on the resources available in the area.
The need for net-zero carbon emissions in places like California and Oregon has prompted the government to provide incentives to businesses, such as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which was created to reduce the state’s carbon footprint.
The prospect of obtaining net-zero emissions in Arizona, according to Mason, “would be controlled by government laws and market demand.”
By 2023, Nikola hopes to have a center in Arizona up and operating that will manufacture and distribute hydrogen as an alternate energy source.
