Hydrogen Hubs and Catalyst H2™: Shaping the Future of Clean and Green Hydrogen
By Missy Lee & Todd Zeranski
Green hydrogen’s time has come. Following a merit review process, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced the final selection of hub projects for funding as part of its Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. The hubs selected include the:
Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey
Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) in California
HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub in Texas
Heartland Hydrogen Hub in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNW H2) in Washington, Oregon, and Montana
The Green Hydrogen Coalition (GHC) is particularly pleased by the selection of the project led by the ARCHES, California’s public-private hydrogen hub consortium, in the greater Los Angeles region. The GHC identified Southern California as a compelling location for a regional green hydrogen hub and oriented its first educational and market development efforts through its HyBuild™ North America platform to enable green hydrogen ecosystems and the supporting infrastructure to deliver low-cost green hydrogen. You can read more about the findings of HyBuild™ North America’s inaugural initiative, HyBuild™ Los Angeles, here. With the ARCHES expanding this vision state-wide, we are so pleased that a world-class clean hydrogen hub is coming to California, bringing with it a panoply of benefits — economic, environmental, and social — that will transform how we power our world and create vibrant, clean energy economies with sustainable local jobs.
The GHC, teaming with Strategen Consulting, hosted its first in-person Catalyst H2™ convening in Long Beach last year, connecting change agents and market makers to accelerate North America’s green hydrogen economy and facilitating alignment among key actors, including multi-sectoral buyers, investors, innovative technology and solutions providers, developers, policymakers, community leaders and global movers and shakers.
The generous tax credits for clean and green hydrogen now available through the Inflation Reduction Act provide needed commercial certainty, and together with the project development that will be catalyzed through the announced hub funding will efficiently orient market formation to accelerate the development of a vibrant clean national hydrogen strategy.
Against this backdrop, Catalyst H2 is returning to host three days of networking, immersive learning, and inspiration on December 4-6 in Huntington Beach, California. This location sets the stage for a green hydrogen conference situated in one of the U.S.’s first scaled green hydrogen hubs. Aiming to unite, create, and share ideas, strategies, and pragmatic action, this year’s Catalyst H2 program features green hydrogen hub leaders from California, Texas, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona, and Louisiana to share how they are shaping the future of clean hydrogen domestically and internationally.
Regional Green Hydrogen Infrastructure Integration
The purpose of this year’s Catalyst H2 program is to accelerate North America’s Green Hydrogen Economy by convening regional hub leaders to discuss regional clean and green hydrogen infrastructure Integration. Key topics include the role of green hydrogen in creating an inclusive clean energy ecosystem, green ammonia production and trade, innovative strategies for transport and storage, new production pathways, workforce development, and climate integrity and safety, among others.
Participants will also:
Unlock Green Hydrogen Offtake: Gather actionable next steps from the end users who are stepping up as first movers, domestic and global policymakers who are leading on the establishment of market mechanisms, and investors who are underwriting bankable projects.
Weigh In on Market Design Frameworks: Catalyst H2 features policymakers and regulators who are creating and implementing innovative frameworks to support the development of landmark projects across North America.
Establish Thought Leadership: Share inspiration and network with a curated group of executive-level attendees from across the stakeholder ecosystem and value chain.
Build Bridges: Strengthen connections within the diverse green hydrogen ecosystem, and establish areas for collaboration (e.g., policy, infrastructure) between previously siloed industries to accelerate progress. Network with progressive green hydrogen leaders from throughout the U.S. and globally.
The panel, “Advancing a National Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure Strategy in the U.S.,” will feature representatives from leading U.S. hub projects to discuss what will come next to integrate regional hubs into a viable national clean and green hydrogen strategy. Additional topics that will be covered include planning for shared and/or integrative infrastructure, addressing key policy and regulatory barriers, stakeholder engagement, and growing the offtaker pipeline. Participants will include ARCHES, HALO, HyVelocity, PNWH2, and SHINe hub partnerships representatives.
Advancing Progress: Innovations in Procurement, Policy, and Technology
The program on December 6 is dedicated to innovation and features three concurrent afternoon sessions cohosted by EPRI and the Renewable Thermal Collaborative:
Track 1: Focuses on buy-side innovation that is happening in business models, policy, and programs
Track 2: Focuses on production innovation covering electrolytic and organic waste pathways to produce green hydrogen
Track 3: Focuses on hydrogen transport and storage innovation. Each of these tracks will address the opportunities, challenges, and innovation underway throughout the value chain via real-world case studies.
These concurrent sessions are an opportunity for greater interaction and inquiry at a deeper level.
See Progress Firsthand
Catalyst H2 is uniquely interactive with equipment and technology displays. Like last year, Catalyst H2 will feature a guided site tour of green hydrogen-powered equipment at one of the Port of LA’s largest marine terminals, featuring Hyster Company’s hydrogen fuel cell-powered container handler and Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Utility Tractor Rig. The tour resonated with attendees because it connected the theoretical with the practical, as well as demonstrated green hydrogen’s use case for widespread adoption to displace diesel fuel use and decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, such as maritime shipping.
One year later, we are again offering this immersive tour and expanding it to allow attendees to also visit a marine terminal at the Port of Long Beach featuring FuelCell Energy’s Tri-gen Manufacturing Facility. Last year's tour sold out and we expect this year’s tour to do the same.
Accelerating North America’s Green Hydrogen Economy
At a time of great anticipation regarding how historic investments will actualize green hydrogen’s promise, Catalyst H2 delivers an immersive, engaging platform for participants to accelerate green hydrogen market development and speed a clean and just energy transition. Connected by a shared vision toward a sustainable future, we hope you will join the green hydrogen community at this year’s can’t-miss event.