Hydrogen at Scale: Planning for a Midwestern Hydrogen Economy
Petros Sofronis and Tim Lindsey (Mechanical Science and Engineering)
Ted Krause and John Kopasz (Argonne National Laboratory)
Research Challenge
The emerging hydrogen (H2) economy promises to be one of the most disruptive events in the quest for carbon-neutral energy solutions. It will significantly impact diverse sectors, including commerce, utilities, transportation, shipping, agriculture, construction, mining, chemicals and steel. Modifying the infrastructure needed to incorporate hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and utilization requires considerable investigation, planning, and coordination among diverse industry sectors, government agencies, energy stakeholders and organizations. Multiple opportunities are emerging for UIUC faculty to engage in research, education and economic development projects to advance the technology, science and policy required to make Illinois a leader in growing the hydrogen economy.
Midwestern Hydrogen Economy
The University of Illinois is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role in catalyzing the deployment of a Midwestern H2 economy by 1) facilitating interaction between academia, leading companies, and local and state government agencies; 2) educating the next generation of scientists and engineers who will participate in the design, development and implementation of the H2 economy; 3) identifying and addressing constraints in existing systems and infrastructure; 4) developing technology breakthroughs that improve the technical and economic performance of H2 production, storage, transportation and utilization; and 5) studying and analyzing the conditions necessary for the creation of a spot market (and eventually futures and options markets) for hydrogen.
Larger Impact
In collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign helps guide the State and region through this critical transformation by leveraging the leadership status and networking capabilities established by developing the Midwestern Hydrogen Partnership and through the Illinois Hydrogen Economy Task Force. These efforts will result on the development of a roadmap and plan to ensure the State and region appropriately use existing resources and attract the additional assets needed to compete in the emerging H2 economy.