Montreal-headquartered AtkinsRéalis will help manage one of the first regional “hydrogen hubs” taking shape across the US.
Between six and 10 such hubs are being set up to create new local markets for the clean fuel, encouraged by a $7bn federal fund specified in the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The idea is to match new hydrogen producers with local buyers, and to set up the necessary infrastructure.
Targeted buyers are those deemed hardest to decarbonise, like heavy industry, agriculture, transportation, and electricity generation.
Washington, Oregon, and Montana
Yesterday, AtkinsRéalis said it would be running the project management office of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2), which covers the states of Washington, Oregon, and Montana.
In July, PNWH2 received $27.5m in phase 1 funding for initial planning, permitting, and analysis to begin setting up an expected eight “nodes” of hydrogen supply and use in the tri-state region.
It’s one of the first hubs to get phase 1 funding.
If the hub is considered technically and financially viable, it could receive up to $1bn to fund hub projects in heavy-duty transportation, electricity generation, agriculture, and public transit.
It’s expected to generate expected to generate 10,000 jobs in the three states.
AtkinsRéalis will administer sub-recipient agreements, give project management oversight, and report on project status to the US Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
In April, the company opened a technology centre in Richland, Washington, the proposed location of one of the hub’s nodes.
It will manage the PNWH2 contract from there.
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