Hydrogen-Wind Project

Bismarck, N.D. -- Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a cutting edge research and economic development program will begin in North Dakota next year.

A consortium of energy companies and research institutions in North Dakota were awarded $497,050 by the DOE to undertake an innovative pilot program to produce, store and distribute hydrogen fuel. The grant was made possible through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan who is a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee.

The consortium members include Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Verendrye Electric Power Cooperative, Velva; the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), Stuart Energy and the North Dakota State University (NDSU) North Central Research Extension Center, Minot.

The proposed project would use electricity from local wind generators for use at a regional hydrogen production site. The wind energy would power an electrolyzer -- a commercial generator that separates the hydrogen and oxygen contained in water. The hydrogen would then be stored and used either as a transportation fuel, a fuel to provide firm schedulable (non-intermittent) power from fuel cells or small generators or other applications utilizing hydrogen. The wind energy will be dynamically scheduled over the local electrical system from the wind turbines to the NDSU Experiment Station near Minot.

In a press statement, Sen. Dorgan said this project has enormous implications for the future of wind energy, hydrogen power, and economic growth in America’s Heartland. He has been a national leader in the drive to bring hydrogen-powered vehicles and wind energy into mainstream use.

“North Dakota is positioned to become a world leader in wind power, and North Dakota scientists are already doing some of the most important hydrogen technology work in the world. I’m pleased that the Department of Energy has recognized this project as an important part of its research program,” he said.

The project plan consists of two parts: The initial phase will analyze the economics and environmental impacts associated with the production of hydrogen fuel using electricity from wind turbines. The second phase, scheduled to begin in the spring of 2005, will include placement of the hydrogen electrolyzer in a location where electricity from Basin Electric’s wind energy farms in North Dakota can be used. The hydrogen electrolyzer would be constructed at the NDSU North Central Research Extension Center with the support of Verendrye Electric.

The electrolyzer would be one of the nation’s first production sources of hydrogen from a renewable resource. The hydrogen could be used as a fuel for both internal combustion and fuel cell vehicles as well as for electrical generation. The consortium is working with a number of entities to determine the best use of the hydrogen.

Wayne Backman, Senior vice president of generation at Basin Electric, said funding for this project could be a major step toward efficiently producing hydrogen fuel using wind energy in North Dakota. “While research is always uncertain, the effort is centered on the creation of a wind-to-hydrogen facility and accompanying hydrogen uses.”

The development of a fuel resource with virtually no emissions would help the United States become more energy self-sufficient, while providing major environmental benefits. The upper Great Plains has vast wind resources, with North Dakota ranked highest of all states for wind resource potential.

The purpose of this research is intended to address two issues affecting wind power. First, by converting the wind energy to an alternative form locally, the regional transmission congestion problems are avoided. Second, since intermittent electricity is difficult to store, this research seeks to develop an alternative use for the wind energy by converting the power from its intermittent form to a value-added energy source that can be stored and used as needed.

Basin Electric operates a total of 3,412 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity and has either ownership or contractual rights to another 87 MW of wind energy.

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