Hy Stor Energy LP (Hy Stor Energy) recently announced its mission to develop and advance the production, storage, and delivery of green hydrogen at scale in the United States. Hy Stor Energy, together with its strategic partner Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L Infrastructure), will develop, commercialize, and operate large-scale, long-duration hydrogen hubs that will serve as a model for our nation’s green hydrogen development efforts going forward. The first major project, the Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub, is under active development and has multiple sites permitted for hydrogen storage.
The planned scale of the Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub is up to 10 times larger than any other green hydrogen project under consideration in the U.S. and would be one of the largest in the world. During its first phase, the Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub is expected to produce an estimated 110 million kilograms (kg) of green hydrogen annually and store more than 70 million kg of green hydrogen in its underground salt caverns. Pending regulatory approvals and equipment availability, the hub’s first phase is planned to enter commercial service by 2025.
“Mississippi’s well-established and robust energy network is strategically positioned to support Hy Stor Energy and the growth of a Mississippi hydrogen hub. We welcome this innovative opportunity to share our unique salt dome storage capacity and our trained workforce,” said Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi Delbert Hosemann.
“The biggest challenge the energy transition faces today is how to bridge the gap to allow renewables to replace fossil fuel electric power generation safely and reliably. In an era of increasingly frequent extreme weather, it’s imperative to have the ability to store large quantities of renewable energy capable of providing multiple days of power over long periods of high demand,” said Laura L. Luce, CEO of Hy Stor Energy. “We believe the approach we’re taking in Mississippi will become the blueprint for future green hydrogen projects that not only address the energy transition challenges we face but also bring new jobs, economic revitalization, and low-cost energy to communities in the region. We see this as an important way of advancing U.S. climate leadership.”
“Green hydrogen will play a vital role in the decarbonization of our global societies by offering a viable pathway towards zero emissions,” said Claire Behar, CCO of Hy Stor Energy. “Hy Stor Energy will serve customers across a variety of industries including transportation, power generation, and difficult to decarbonize sectors, such as manufacturing and industrials, where green hydrogen can replace fossil fuels.”
This project will greatly benefit the state of Mississippi’s economy and environment by providing reliable clean energy, while stimulating growth for the long term. The development and commercialization phases are expected to create hundreds of new jobs and attract new manufacturing and industrial companies to the state. The Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub will also bring education and workforce development opportunities, supporting the transition to a local and resilient green hydrogen energy system.
“We’re excited to welcome Hy Stor Energy and hydrogen innovators to Mississippi,” said Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives Philip Gunn. “Their investment and eventual success here will improve workforce development, bring high paying jobs to our state, and encourage other businesses to invest in the talent and infrastructure we’ve built together.”
“We have worked with a number of cutting-edge and innovative hydrogen-related projects across the world,” said Matt Weaver, Business Lead – North America of Nel Hydrogen. “Based on that experience, we believe that the Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub proposed by Hy Stor Energy is truly groundbreaking and can serve as a model for green hydrogen efforts going forward.”
Hy Stor Energy selected Mississippi to develop its first green hydrogen hub because of the state’s distinct geology, strategic geographic location, abundance of available water and renewable energy from the sun and wind, and collaborative business environment. The region boasts multiple naturally occurring underground salt formations that can support development of large caverns, allowing for the safe and effective storage of several years’ worth of green hydrogen. These strategic locations are enhanced by the proximity to existing infrastructure including an array of interstate gas transportation pipelines and electric transmission lines, as well as interstate highways, rail lines, deep water ports, and the Mississippi River.