Will AES produce Green Hydrogen in Hawaii ?
AES solar farm at PMRF missile range on the Island of Kauai - US Navy photo
AES Corporation is widely recognized as one of the most innovative developers of renewable energy in the world. Their cutting-edge technology has earned them more than 7 Edison Awards for innovation. In Hawaii, they revolutionized energy production on the Island of Kauai at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) at Barking Sands and at Lawai Solar Farm with the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC). Their technology making use of former sugar plantations has been so successful its combination of solar panels and batteries now produces enough base energy to supply 11% of the island's entire power needs and 40% of the power needed it uses at night. On many days in Kauai, there is no reason for KIUC to use its diesel generators at all.
They have also developed a revolutionary pump hydro system that repurposes old sugar plantation reservoirs and uses them as a new kind of battery. The company uses an energy mix of solar farms and batteries, hydropower from the Waimea River, and biomass burning in its renewable energy mix. Because of these innovations, KIUC is said to be more than 10 years ahead of the rest of the state in reaching Hawaii’s clean energy goals. The combination of power produced, battery storage, and electronically controlled grid communication is so advanced that AES is recognized as a world leader.
AES recently announced that together with the Air Products Company, the company is investing $4 billion in Texas to develop the world’s largest green liquid Hydrogen plant. The new facility is intended to provide green hydrogen to the US trucking industry on a massive scale. The electrolyzer plant they are building in Wilbarger County Texas is designed with a capacity of over 200 metric tons of green hydrogen per day with all the electricity coming from 1.4 GW of wind and solar. It will employ 115 people and make use of Texas's cheap wind and solar power.
If AES is innovating renewable energy and batteries, as well as green energy, is there a possibility that they might do this in Hawaii? The biggest obstacle to Hawaii meeting its energy goals is its transportation sector which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Were Hawaii to have a new source of green hydrogen it could revolutionize Hawaii’s ability to provide green energy to the island’s trucks, tug boats, cars, airplanes, and ships.
Currently, China is the world leader in green hydrogen production and the market demand for green hydrogen is growing every year. In the US it is said to be a $4 billion market. But will reach $119 billion globally by 2030. Since AES has been active in Hawaii for 30 years, the question arises as to whether they might be interested in developing green hydrogen in Hawaii as well.
AES Edison Awards
https://www.aes.com/about-us/awards-recognition
PMRF - LAWAI Solar Farm
https://www.power-technology.com/marketdata/power-plant-profile-pmrf-solar-pv-park-us
https://andes-staging.aes.com/en/new-clean-energy-kauai
AES and APS
https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/local-news/4-billion-hydrogen-production-plant-coming-to-wilbarger-county/
https://www.iea.org/reports/opportunities-for-hydrogen-production-with-ccus-in-china/executive-summary
