Today, Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. announced that with Texas Brine Company, LLC, it signed an agreement to develop large-scale, long-duration hydrogen storage solutions. Plus, the company is positioning to become a large-scale hydrogen giant in the US.
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Remarkably, this agreement has the aim to support decarbonization efforts across the eastern United States. Moreover, and according to this decision, Mitsubishi is paving and leading the way in long-duration hydrogen storage.
Some other projects
In fact, Mitsubishi Power’s developing hydrogen infrastructure includes in 2019 a joint venture with Magnum Development to create the world’s largest renewable energy storage project. Also, a joint development agreement with Entergy to collaborate on bringing decarbonization projects to Entergy’s utility businesses in four states.
Similarly, the Company announced in September last year it secured technical selections for three projects using its hydrogen-ready M501JAC gas turbines. For instance, at the Danskammer Project in Newburg, NY, the Chickahominy Power Project in Virginia, and the Harrison Power Project.
Thus, this collaboration with Texas Brine shows the company’s capability to store hydrogen safely and cost-effectively in salt caverns in strategic locations across North America. Therefore, Mitsubishi Power decided to partner with the nation’s largest brine producer, Texas Brine, and its affiliates.
In fact, Texas Brine has salt positions in New York, Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana. Thus, those locations will enable access to major load centers in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and the Gulf Coast. Moreover, this joint hydrogen development is a critical enabling technology for transforming a net-zero carbon energy future.
The collaboration with Texas Brine
The Texas Brine collaboration complements Mitsubishi Power’s growing portfolio of hydrogen-ready gas turbines. In fact, the company has experience positioning large-scale hydrogen storage near projects.
Moreover, as a mixture of salt and water, Brine can be used as a critical feedstock for the chemical industry. Also, it can be dehydrated to produce salt for food, deicing, agricultural, industrial, and water softening markets.
Similarly, the coproduct of the solution mining process can be used to store liquid or gaseous commodities, such as hydrogen. Conversely, when a salt cavern is explicitly set for hydrogen storage, it employs the same solution mining process. Ultimately, residuals create a brine coproduct with several applications (feedstock).
Thus, the alliance will initially focus on existing sites controlled by Texas Brine and its affiliates. Then, both companies will evaluate the opportunity for hydrogen storage in existing and new caverns. Besides, they’ll explore detailed engineering and design studies to support hydrogen storage needs.
Finally, this joint development will also explore greenfield applications that can benefit from hydrogen storage and brine and dry salt production.
Reception on this hydrogen development
Ted Grabowski, President and CEO of Texas Brine said, “Strategic alliances that enhance collaboration across industry domains are critical for cost-effective use of resources. Thus, we look forward to collaborating with Mitsubishi Power to support safe and low-cost storage of hydrogen across our sites in the eastern U.S. Also, to explore synergistic opportunities at sites in other parts of the country.”
Similarly, Paul Browning, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas, said, “To bring about an energy transition for a net-zero carbon future, we have to work with partners. So, it takes innovative partnerships and cross-sector teams to decarbonize multiple verticals.
Thus, “our alliance with Texas Brine supports our mission to provide power generation and energy storage solutions to our customers. As a result, we empower them to affordably and reliably combat climate change and advance human prosperity.”
