Cummins Inc. is getting $5 million – the largest of 19 grants from the Department of Energy – to automate one of three types of a process that turns water into zero-emission green hydrogen. The company sees the fuel as a big revenue producer by mid-decade.
The Columbus, Ind.-based manufacturer of diesel engines and power distribution equipment is rapidly growing its expertise in hydrogen manufacturing. It predicts $400 million in revenue from hydrogen production by 2025.
The DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office money is for the automation of solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) and stack assembly. Cummins is spending $2 million of its own money on a three-year project to make production of the electrolyzer systems more efficient, reduce capital costs and facilitate the scale-up of the hydrogen economy.
SOECs operate at much higher heat and can be more efficient than proton membrane exchange (PEM) or alkaline electrolyzers, both of which Cummins makes. Coupled with industrial processes that use steam or high-grade heat, SOECs could help decarbonize industrial sectors, such as steel production, the company said.
Powering any type of electrolyzer with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar or hydro, produces green hydrogen.
Click here to see the full report from Alex Adler at Freightwaves.com, a freight industry trade magazine.