A milestone for the United States’ green hydrogen sector has been reached with the deployment of the country’s largest domestically built proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser at Niagara Falls, New York. Developed by Accelera, the zero-emissions division of Cummins Inc., the 35 MW system has been installed at a hydrogen production facility owned by industrial gas major Linde.

The electrolyser is powered entirely by renewable hydroelectric energy from the Niagara region, underscoring the importance of integrating abundant clean resources with advanced hydrogen technologies. Designed for modularity and scalability, the system is capable of supporting expansions and integration with increasingly complex industrial operations, while offering a pathway to decarbonise energy-intensive processes.

Manufactured at Accelera’s plant in Fridley, Minnesota, the electrolyser reflects the company’s intent to localise critical clean energy manufacturing in the US. By establishing production domestically, Accelera aims to strengthen the supply chain for hydrogen technologies and contribute to the growth of a homegrown hydrogen economy.

PEM electrolysers are considered particularly suitable for variable renewable energy inputs, as they can rapidly adjust to fluctuating electricity supplies while maintaining high efficiency. At 35 MW, the system at Niagara Falls represents a significant leap in US-based capacity, offering lessons for scaling up to meet national hydrogen production and decarbonisation goals.

Hydrogen is viewed as a versatile clean energy carrier with potential applications across multiple industries, including refining, chemicals, steelmaking, transport, and power generation. In this case, the green hydrogen produced will be used by Linde to serve industrial clients, substituting fossil-based hydrogen and contributing to emission reductions in hard-to-abate sectors.

The installation also highlights the increasing role of partnerships between equipment manufacturers and industrial gas companies in building out hydrogen infrastructure. While the US has seen major announcements in electrolyser projects since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), challenges around financing, permitting, and market demand remain. However, projects such as the one at Niagara Falls provide early evidence of large-scale systems operating reliably and feeding directly into industrial supply chains.

Globally, competition in electrolyser manufacturing is intensifying, with China and Europe both advancing significant production capacity. The commissioning of a system of this scale within the US may signal a strengthening of domestic capability to match international progress.

Source:

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/largest-electrolyzer-system-goes-live