Invenergy, a privately held developer, owner and operator of clean energy solutions, announced its first clean hydrogen project, the 5-acre Sauk Valley Hydrogen (Sauk Valley) facility in Rock Falls, Illinois, has reached commercial operations.
Utilizing power from Invenergy's co-located solar facility and Ohmium International's electrolyzer technology, Sauk Valley can produce up to 40 metric tons of clean hydrogen annually with the capacity to store up to 400 kilograms (kg) of clean hydrogen on site.
"A broad range of industries have identified the immense potential of clean hydrogen, and I am extremely proud that Invenergy has again invested in the talent and technology to pioneer a new energy asset with multiple end users," said Joel Schroeder, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Technology at Invenergy. "I congratulate the elite team we assembled for building Sauk Valley and I look forward to seeing their unmatched skills support the development of future clean hydrogen production facilities in our portfolio."
"Collaborating with Invenergy on the Sauk Valley Hydrogen project has been incredible, and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional teams involved. We are thrilled that our cutting-edge PEM electrolyzer technology is making this clean hydrogen resource a reality. This is a significant step toward a sustainable energy future, and we are eager to see its positive impact across sectors," said Arne Ballantine, Ohmium CEO.
Invenergy's first clean hydrogen facility reaches commercial operations
Invenergy’s Sauk Valley Hydrogen facility and co-located solar array sit adjacent to their Nelson natural gas facility in Rock Falls, IL.
Sauk Valley's initial hydrogen supply has been used as a turbine generator cooling agent at the adjacent Nelson Energy Center, Invenergy's 980-megawatt natural gas facility. The loading capability at Sauk Valley also enables hydrogen to be shipped and used offsite. Sauk Valley's first offsite order will be delivered by Certarus to an Aether Fuels project.
"Invenergy's significant renewables portfolio allows our team to produce clean hydrogen for 'hard-to-abate' sectors of the economy across the country at scale, especially large hydrogen consumers such as liquid fuels and chemicals plants. We are excited to supply Aether with hydrogen from Sauk Valley, demonstrating our unique market capabilities and strong partnerships," said Jon Horek, Vice President, Hydrogen at Invenergy.
"Invenergy has an outstanding reputation as a leader in clean energy innovation and we were fortunate to secure the first delivery from their impressive Sauk Valley Hydrogen facility," said Aether Fuels CEO Conor Madigan.
Sauk Valley Hydrogen is Invenergy's 22nd clean energy project to have completed development in Illinois. The facility builds upon Invenergy's robust investment in Illinois and reflects a commitment to supporting the state's clean energy economy. Invenergy's Illinois portfolio of operational clean energy solutions now includes wind, solar, clean hydrogen, natural gas generation, and advanced energy storage projects.
