Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables  -  September 19, 2022

Xcel Energy to Use Zero Carbon Hydrogen 

Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant in Welch, Minnesota will install an electrolyzer to augment existing clean energy nuclear infrastructure to create immediate and scalable pathways to produce cost-efficient, clean hydrogen.

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

Bloom Energy’s electrolyzer that is built on its solid oxide platform operates at high temperatures to convert water into hydrogen. The high heat and steam produced by Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island facility feed into Bloom Energy’s electrolyzer to produce zero-carbon hydrogen more efficiently than low-temperature electrolysis alternatives like polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) or alkaline. 

“Xcel Energy’s nuclear power plants already play a vital role in our energy mix, delivering clean, reliable and affordable power for our customers while avoiding hundreds of millions of tons of emissions,” said Peter Gardner, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer at Xcel Energy, a clean energy provider that serves eight Western and Midwestern states, in a statement. “This project will provide a tremendous opportunity to better understand how our existing nuclear plants can contribute to the development of hydrogen technologies and build a carbon free future.”

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