St. Cloud's Green Hydrogen Initiative: Decarbonizing with Innovation and Vision
Key Ideas
- St. Cloud, Minnesota, will produce green hydrogen using a PEM electrolyser powered by solar and biogas by 2025.
- The city aims to become carbon neutral for its electrical use by 2028 and across all sectors by 2038.
- The project may explore capturing oxygen for the wastewater treatment facility's aeration system.
- Nel's expansion in Connecticut to produce more PEM electrolyser units aligns with the growing demand for green hydrogen.
St. Cloud, Minnesota, is set to embark on a groundbreaking green hydrogen initiative by deploying a containerised PEM electrolyser from Nel. By 2025, the city plans to produce green hydrogen using sustainable sources like solar power and biogas generated by the wastewater treatment process. This hydrogen will be utilized for onsite heating, power generation, and storage during excess renewable energy production. Furthermore, the project may investigate the utilization of oxygen in the treatment facility's aeration system. St. Cloud's ambitious goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in its electrical consumption by 2028 and extend it to encompass building heat and transportation by 2038. The Public Services Director, Tracy Hodel, envisions a future where renewable hydrogen plays a vital role in decarbonizing various sectors within the community. Nel's investment in expanding its PEM electrolyser manufacturing capacity in Connecticut to 500MW reflects the increasing demand for green hydrogen solutions, aligning with St. Cloud's innovative and visionary approach to decarbonization.