Hydrogen technology company Plug Power has entered into a 345 MW wind power purchase agreement with Apex Clean Energy.
Apex Clean Energy and Plug Power, a supplier of hydrogen-based technologies, announced Wednesday that they have entered into a 345 MW wind PPA from one of Apex’s wind farms under development in Texas.
Plug’s core business, according to Shrestha, currently involves providing hydrogen fuel cells and refueling infrastructure to companies including Walmart and Amazon, which use hydrogen to power forklifts inside their massive distribution centers.
While some have envisioned using curtailed renewable energy from the grid to drive electrolysis, there currently isn’t enough curtailed energy available to drive a 30-ton hydrogen plant, which will require about 80 MWh at full capacity, Shrestha said.
The PPA was sized so that the wind farm’s average generation is matched with the electrolyzers’ 24-7 demand for energy, according to Mark Goodwin, president and CEO of Apex Clean Energy.
Plug Power also has additional hydrogen plants in the works, including a 15-ton plant announced in Georgia, and a larger plant run on hydropower planned near Buffalo, New York.
With its large energy needs, Goodwin said hydrogen production by itself could prove a boon to clean energy developers, who he said need large customers like Plug to help finance large renewable energy projects.