Burgum applauds DOE selecting Heartland Hydrogen Hub formed by governors of ND, MN, MT, and WI.
BISMARCK, ND (STL.News) North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum Friday applauded the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement that it has selected the Heartland Hydrogen Hub for up to $925 million in funding to advance a regional clean energy project involving collaboration among the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin.
Governors of the four states signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in October 2022 to develop a regional clean hydrogen hub to help meet the nation’s clean energy, transportation, and agricultural needs. The Heartland Hydrogen Hub will produce low-carbon hydrogen, decarbonize regional supply chains, and create clean energy jobs across the states.
“Clean hydrogen can play a major role in our all-of-the-above energy approach, and we’re grateful to the Department of Energy for recognizing our states’ expertise in agriculture and energy production that will make the Heartland Hydrogen Hub a world-class partnership,” Burgum said. “North Dakota is already an energy and ag powerhouse, and we’re excited to build on our reputation as states that feed and fuel the world with environmental stewardship and a focus on innovation over-regulation to meet our nation’s evolving energy needs.”
The University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), Marathon Petroleum Corp., TC Energy, and Xcel Energy are leading the development of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub. Marathon and TC Energy are also engaged with the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and Sumitomo Corp. of Americas to participate. Burgum signed an MOU with the president and CEO of Sumitomo Corp. during a trade and investment mission to Japan last year.
With the Heartland Hydrogen Hub, a variety of projects will produce clean hydrogen for delivery to multiple markets, including industrial operations, fertilizer production, and natural gas blending for power generation and distribution, while reducing carbon emissions from multiple sectors by up to 1 million metric tons per year, according to EERC.
Under the MOU signed last year, the four states agreed to develop a proposal for the Heartland Hydrogen Hub with the goal of obtaining federal funding from the Department of Energy’s $7 billion program to create regional clean hydrogen across the country. The funding was part of a larger hydrogen hub program included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden.
In addition to Burgum, the MOU was signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The hub may also include facilities in South Dakota. Throughout the application process, hub partners have engaged with communities, tribes, and other stakeholders on strategies and programs that aim to benefit the entire region.
SOURCE: ND Governor
