With the construction of a new state-of-the-art production facility in Fresno County, California, Plug Power is expanding its green hydrogen ecosystem to the West Coast.
Green hydrogen is created by electrolyzing water with electricity generated from zero-carbon sources, and only harmless oxygen is emitted as a byproduct. The plant, which will be the largest green hydrogen production facility on the west coast, will produce 30 metric tons of liquid green hydrogen daily, serving customers from San Diego to Vancouver. The facility will use a new 300 megawatt zero-carbon solar farm to power 120 megawatts of Plug Power’s cutting-edge PEM electrolyzers, which use an electro-chemical process to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
The California plant joins the company’s growing national network of plants in New York, Tennessee, and Georgia, which will produce 500 tons per day of liquid green hydrogen by 2025, replacing 4.3 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, and 1,000 tons per day globally by 2028.
When completed, the network of plants in the United States will provide customers with transportation fuel that is competitive in price with diesel. Plug Power’s investment in green hydrogen production will aid in the decarbonization of light-duty vehicles, freight transportation, and logistics operations, as well as support California’s leadership in developing hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel.
The project entails the construction of a new tertiary wastewater treatment plant in the city of Mendota, which will provide recycled water to the people of Mendota as well as meet the plant’s entire needs. The plant will begin construction in early 2023 and will be completed in early 2024, subject to environmental and construction permitting approvals.
“Plug Power is fully committed to a green hydrogen future and is investing heavily in building a green hydrogen ecosystem to support our customers’ efforts to achieve their sustainability goals,” said Andy Marsh, CEO for Plug Power. “California is leading the world in the adoption of green hydrogen and renewable energy. Plug Power is proud to be a part of that transition and to support the state’s continued leadership.”