The agreement calls for the installation of additional MW of Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cell-based Energy Server at Intel’s existing high-performance computing data center in Santa Clara, California. The additional capacity expands an existing Bloom Energy fuel cell installation already deployed at the tech giant’s location since 2014. The resulting installation will be the single largest fuel cell-powered high-performance computing data center in Silicon Valley, Bloom Energy said.

“Bloom Energy is proud to be a long-term supplier to Intel and to support the company’s data center capacity building at a time when the grid is severely constrained,” said Ravi Prasher, Bloom Energy’s Chief Technology Officer. “Bloom Energy technology is compatible with hydrogen fuel in addition to natural gas. We are working with governments and industries to adopt hydrogen as a primary fuel when it becomes economically viable. Intel’s confidence in our fuel cell technology is a testament to Bloom’s ability to reliably meet the energy needs of cutting edge and high-performance IT infrastructure.”

Bloom’s offerings can be deployed as grid parallel in conjunction with utility power to meet dual source energy needs of a data center or as grid independent by avoiding transmission infrastructure.

“Intel is leading the industry in extreme energy-efficient high-performance computing data centers with existing hyperscale Intel Santa Clara Data Center operating at 1.06 PUE, enabling the HPC scale needed for complex Intel chip design and technology development,” said Shesha Krishnapura, Intel Fellow, and Intel IT Chief Technology Officer.

Data centers are growing dramatically – in the U.S. and elsewhere. According to a recent study released by EPRI, data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030 — more than double the amount currently used. This could create regional supply challenges, among other issues.

According to EPRI’s analysis, an estimated 80% of the national data center load in 2023 was concentrated in 15 states, led by Virginia and Texas. Demands for highly reliable power, requests for power from new, non-emitting generation sources, and short lead times for connection—of two years or less—can create local and regional electricity supply challenges.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is partnering with utilities on four hydrogen demonstration projects at U.S. nuclear power plants.

Hydrogen would be produced at the nuclear plants through high- or low-temperature electrolysis, a process of splitting water into pure hydrogen and oxygen. High-temperature electrolyzers use both heat and electricity to split water and are more efficient.

Many believe nuclear is a tool to produce clean hydrogen, which is seen as an important path to drive decarbonization – including in hard-to-abate sectors. In power generation, hydrogen is one of the leading options for storing renewable energy and can be used in gas turbines to increase power system flexibility.

Listed below are the four nuclear plants expected to ramp up hydrogen production. Please click the links to read any of our previous reporting.

Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station (Oswego, NY) 

DOE is supporting the construction and installation of a low-temperature electrolysis system at the Nine Mile Point station in Oswego, New York. Nine Mile Point would be the first nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility in the U.S. and would also use the hydrogen to help cool the plant.

Constellation plans to begin producing hydrogen there before the end of 2022.

The utility also partnered with NYSERDA on a separate project to power a fuel cell at the facility and will start providing additional power to the grid in 2025. 

Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station (Oak Harbor, OH)

Energy Harbor is working to demonstrate a low-temperature electrolysis system at the Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station. The single unit reactor is expected to produce clean hydrogen by 2023.

Energy Harbor is part of a larger group called the Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen (GLCH) coalition. GLCH aims to develop a Midwestern regional hydrogen hub and is applying for DOE funding

Hydrogen produced at Davis-Besse could support local manufacturing and transportation services, including fuel for a local bus fleet.

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (Red Wing, MN)

Xcel Energy is working on a demonstration project coupling Bloom Energy’s high-temperature electrolysis with the Prairie Island nuclear plant in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Engineering for the Xcel-Bloom 240 KW demonstration is currently underway, with construction expected to begin in late 2023 and power-on expected in early 2024.

Palo Verde Generating Station (Tonopah, AZ)

Finally, DOE is negotiating an award with Arizona Public Service (APS) and PNW Hydrogen to demonstrate another low-temperature electrolysis system at the Palo Verde Generating Station in Tonopah, Arizona.

The hydrogen would be used to produce electricity during times of high demand or to make chemicals and other fuels. The project could start producing hydrogen in 2024.

According to the DOE, a single 1,000 MW nuclear reactor could produce more than 150,000 metric tons of hydrogen each year. Ten nuclear reactors could provide about 1.5 million metric tons annually or 15% of current hydrogen produced in the United States, the DOE said. 

Bloom Energy plans to build one of its electrolyzers at Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island nuclear plant in Welch, Minnesota.

It’s the latest collaborative effort to scale up the production of clean hydrogen through electrolysis powered by nuclear. Proponents say doing so builds an economic case to keep the nation’s at-risk reactors up and running.

As global demand for hydrogen is projected to increase tenfold or more by 2050, there is a need to produce it in larger quantities from low- and zero-carbon sources.

According to the DOE, a single 1,000 MW nuclear reactor could produce more than 150,000 metric tons of hydrogen each year. Ten nuclear reactors could provide about 1.5 million metric tons annually or 15% of current hydrogen produced in the United States, the DOE said.

Bloom Energy’s electrolyzer operates at high temperatures to convert water into hydrogen. The company says its electrolyzers are more efficient than polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) or alkaline alternatives, requiring roughly 40% less electricity.

Engineering for the Xcel-Bloom 240 kW demonstration is currently underway, with construction expected to begin in late 2023 and power-on expected in early 2024.

The 1,060 MW Prairie Island plant has two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors. Unit 1 was put into service in 1973 and Unit 2 came online the next year.

In June 2022 we reported the announcement that Westinghouse and Bloom Energy would implement large-scale hydrogen production projects in the nuclear industry.

The partners would develop a high temperature integrated electrolysis solution for the nuclear industry.

ABOVE: See our one-on-one with Bloom Energy V.P. of Hydrogen Rick Beuttel about the company’s new partnership with Westinghouse.

Westinghouse and Bloom Energy announced an agreement to implement large-scale hydrogen production projects in the nuclear industry.

The partners plan to develop a high temperature integrated electrolysis solution for the nuclear industry.

“With the ability to operate 24/7 and provide high-quality steam input, nuclear plants are well-positioned to utilize electrolyzer technology and produce substantial quantities of clean hydrogen with minimal disruption to current, ongoing operations,” the companies said in a joint release.

As global demand for hydrogen is projected to increase tenfold or more by 2050, there is a need to produce it in larger quantities from low- and zero-carbon sources.

MORE: Report highlights challenges for clean hydrogen future

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law by President Biden in November 2021 includes several hydrogen-specific provisions that will drive large-scale deployment and investment in the hydrogen industry. The bill includes a package of hydrogen-specific policies, including the creation of large-scale regional clean hydrogen hubs across the country.

From that package, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) authorized $8 billion for at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs—at least one producing clean hydrogen from fossil fuels, one from nuclear, and one from renewables.

Advocates have said hydrogen produced from nuclear could help build an economic case to keep the nation’s at-risk reactors up and running.

According to the DOE, a single 1,000 MW nuclear reactor could produce more than 150,000 metric tons of hydrogen each year. Ten nuclear reactors could provide about 1.5 million metric tons annually or 15% of current hydrogen produced in the United States, the DOE said.

Editor's note: Clarion Energy's Kevin Clark is on the ground in Houston for CERAWeek and is reporting the latest from the conference.

“Hydrogen’s always been one of these things that’s the next big thing,” said Rick Beuttel, V.P. of Hydrogen for Bloom Energy. “Well, the day has come.”

Beuttel sat down with Clarion Energy at CERAWeek to discuss projects involving the company’s solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers.

Bloom Energy introduced its electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen in July 2021.

The company signed an agreement with Idaho National Laboratory, which is currently testing the use of nuclear energy to generate clean hydrogen using Bloom’s electrolyzer.

“We have coupled the electrolyzer to their simulator, and they are modeling moving a nuclear reactor around it,” said Beuttel. “How does the electrolyzer respond and looking at it holistically as a system.”

Bloom’s electrolyzer is also being used to generate hydrogen for a blending project on the California Institute of Technology campus. In conjunction with Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), the demonstration is intended to show how the natural gas infrastructure can be decarbonized. The resulting 10% hydrogen blend would be converted into electricity through existing Bloom Energy fuel cells downstream of the SoCalGas meter, producing electricity for a portion of the university.

On a larger scale, the electrolyzer and fuel cell combination could enable long-duration clean energy storage and low-carbon distributed power generation through the gas network for businesses, residential neighborhoods, and dense urban areas. When configured as a microgrid, it also could provide power to protect businesses, campuses, or neighborhoods from widespread power outages.

Beuttel said Bloom Energy intends to market its electrolyzers at a 10 MW and 25 MW scale in 2023.

Last July, Bloom Energy announced plans to install its fuel cells in a combined heat and power (CHP) plant to be built in South Korea. The company’s collaboration with SK ecoplant is expected to generate 4.2 MW of electricity at capacity and capture the thermal energy to provide heat and warm water for a nearby recreational center.

Globally, Bloom has more than 700 MW of installed base in fuel cell technology.

Hydrogen: What’s New, What’s Next? is a content track planned for POWERGEN International happening May 23-25, 2022 in Dallas.