US Green Hydrogen Startups Are Moving On To Greener Pastures

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The US green hydrogen industry hit a massive speed bump following this year’s sharp U-turn in federal energy policy, but opportunities continue to rise up overseas. After all, it’s a big world out there, and other nations are coming around to the idea that wind and solar energy — particularly solar  — are the fastest, most economical, and most accessible power generation resources available today.

A Speed Bump For The US Green Hydrogen Industry

Green hydrogen is a new global industry based largely (though not entirely) on electrolysis, a 19th-century technology that involves deploying electricity to provoke a chemical reaction. In the green hydrogen field, electrolysis systems are applied to push hydrogen gas from water. That’s a sharp contrast with the current state of affairs, in which almost the entire global hydrogen supply is derived from natural gas or coal.

Sustainably and economically, though, producing hydrogen from water makes no sense if the electricity is generated mostly or entirely from fossil fuels. In recent years, the falling cost of wind and solar power has improved the sustainability part of the picture. However, the economic challenge remains. Competing against natural gas and coal for a share of the global hydrogen supply chain has been a tough row to hoe.

The US was close to cracking the green hydrogen code during the Biden administration, which saw the launch of the $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program in 2022. Funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by the US Department of Energy, the new program aimed to cut the cost of green hydrogen and diversify the nation’s hydrogen supply chain based on the particular production, transportation, storage, and user-end strengths of different regions.

Accordingly, in 2023 the Energy Department selected seven hubs for funding. Though some were dedicated to natural gas as stipulated by law, the primary emphasis was on water electrolysis, with various forms of biomass also chipping in. The new program also supported the Energy Department’s longstanding “SuperTruck” initiative, aimed decarbonizing the nation’s fleet of Class 8 heavy duty trucks.

Law, schmaw. Legally or not, US President Donald Trump has overseen the clawback of billions in taxpayer-funded programs previously approved by Congress and federal agencies, the Hydrogen Hubs program being no exception.

Back To The Green Hydrogen Drawing Board

With federal support for a domestic green hydrogen industry all but killed in the cradle, US-based innovators are turning their attention elsewhere. One such example is the Iowa-based startup SunHydrogen (not to be confused with the similarly named Chinese firm Sungrow).

SunHydrogen surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar last year, when it announced a new milestone in its years-long effort to develop a new green hydrogen system based on photoelectrochemistry. In contrast to water electrolysis, which deploys on an external source of electricity to produce green hydrogen, the photoelectrochemical or “artificial leaf” pathway relies on internal systems that mimic nature as closely as possible, with the aim of cutting costs.

In March of this year, SunHydrogen took note of additional steps leading to scale-up, and the company has not let the green hydrogen grass grow under its feet since then. Among other activities, on September 30, the company announced that the leading firm GTI Energy will provide support services for a pilot project under the wing of the Hydrogen ProtoHub program at the University of Texas at Austin, located at the J. J. Pickle Research Campus.

“The Hydrogen ProtoHub is a first-of-its-kind hands-on demonstration and training site where emerging technologies, ranging from hydrogen to renewable natural gas, are tested, validated, and showcased under live conditions,” SunHydrogen notes.

And Then Came China

While the Texas project is percolating, SunHydrogen has also set about pursuing opportunities outside of the US. That includes a relationship with China, where green hydrogen has already emerged as a significant marker along the country’s renewable energy journey. On November 18, SunHydrogen announced a new Memorandum of Understanding with the German firm CTF Solar GmbH, a subsidiary of China National Building Materials Group.

“The agreement focuses on pilot manufacturing, efficiency gains, and producing approximately 1,000 modules for demonstration and future mass production,” SunHydrogen summarized.

“This expanded MoU builds on previous collaboration agreements signed in December 2023 and July 2024 and marks a significant milestone in the companies’ shared mission to advance the development and commercialization of SunHydrogen’s photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production technology,” the company elaborated.

The MOU was signed at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, providing SunHydrogen with a high profile opportunity to draw attention to the role of Chinese firms and shareholders in supporting its technology.

And Then Came Europe

As noted by SunHydrogen, CTF Solar specializes in thin film solar technology based on the familiar CdTe (cadmium telluride) formula. “Together with SunHydrogen’s proprietary catalyst and reactor innovations, the partnership aims to create a cost-effective and scalable green hydrogen production platform that integrates seamlessly with established solar manufacturing lines,” SunHydrogen stated.

The company also took the occasion to affirm that work continues apace at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Texas, so keep an eye open for additional activity over there. Meanwhile, SunHydrogen is not the only US innovator to seek opportunities elsewhere.

The New York-based fuel cell and green hydrogen startup Plug Power, for example, has suffered a series of setbacks here in the US. Nevertheless, its footprint in Europe continues to grow. Earlier this month, Plug Power let word slip that its electrolysis systems will be installed at a major green hydrogen project in the The Netherlands, and on November 17 the company announced that it has been selected for three additional projects in the UK.

The three projects come under the wing of the firm Carlton Power in a joint venture with the leading energy finance firm Schroders Greencoat: the 30-MW Barrow-in-Furness project in Cumbria, the 15-MW Trafford project in Greater Manchester, and the 10-MW Langage in Plymouth. According to Plug Power, the combined total of 55 megawatts is the largest electrolysis system contract in the UK to date, with Kimberly-Clark already lined up to take all 30 megawatts from the Barrow-in-Furness project.

The Trafford project is also worth noting as one of the UK’s leading green hydrogen showcases, aimed at decarbonizing industries and transportation systems in the Manchester region. “The project will utilize renewable and low-carbon electricity to produce green hydrogen for a variety of local end users — including manufacturing, heavy transport operators, and municipal fleets — and is expected to begin operations in 2027,” Plug Power notes.

Final investment decisions for the three projects are still pending at this time, but support from the UK Hydrogen Business Model program indicates that all systems are go.

Meanwhile, here in the US…oh, never mind. The sun will continue to shine and the wind will continue to blow long after the current occupant of the White House leaves office as scheduled on January 20, 2029 — peacefully this time, one hopes.

Image: Green hydrogen from renewable resources is beginning to loosen the grip of fossil fuels on the hydrogen supply chain — if not here in the US, then elsewhere around the world (cropped, courtesy of US Department of Energy via US EIA).