The United States Bureau of Land Management has granted Heliogen the exclusive right to lease land in the Brenda Solar Energy Zone (SEZ).
A green hydrogen facility capable of producing about 20,000 metric tons of hydrogen per year will be built by Heliogen at the Brenda site. The Brenda Special Economic Zone is located in La Paz County, Arizona, near the California state line, on 3,343 acres of land. Access to Interstate 10 for hydrogen distribution to natural gas pipelines for blending and transport, and access to the Phoenix metropolitan area for domestic and international shipping, is available at this location.
“The Brenda SEZ is an ideal location for commercial-scale green hydrogen production due to the ample local water supply and its close proximity to potential offtake partners and key distribution channels,” said Bill Gross, Chief Executive Officer of Heliogen. “We look forward to providing updates on our plans to develop the facility and will leverage our proprietary, AI-enabled concentrated solar power technology to produce cost-effective green hydrogen. We are grateful to the Bureau of Land Management for their support and clarity throughout the process and are looking forward to continuing our work together.”
Using Heliogen’s concentrated solar energy system and Bloom Energy’s Electrolyzer, the companies previously announced that they had successfully generated green hydrogen. When the successful hydrogen production demonstration was completed in November 2021, it demonstrated the many advantages of combining the companies’ complementary green power and hydrogen production technologies.
Using concentrated solar energy and artificial intelligence, Heliogen’s system generates steam, electricity and heat continuously and without emitting any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Using Bloom Energy’s proprietary solid oxide, high-temperature electrolyzer in conjunction with the PEM and alkaline electrolyzers, hydrogen can be produced 45 percent more efficiently. When it comes to hydrogen production, electricity makes up nearly 80% of the cost, so using less electricity makes it more affordable and, therefore, faster to adopt. Green hydrogen production is also more cost-effective when it can be produced using heat rather than electricity.
There are a variety of ways Heliogen can help customers who want to use its cutting-edge solar technology. On behalf of customers who assume an ownership/operating role, Heliogen utilizes its in-house expertise, led by Chief Commercial Officer Tom Doyle.