Our View: Solar powered hydrogen plant a win for region
Thumbs up to Centerpoint Energy and community partners public and private for boosting the idea of building a solar energy-powered hydrogen plant in Mankato that could help mix renewable energy into the local natural gas pipeline.
It will be the first such plant in the state for Centerpoint that runs on solar power.
Another hydrogen conversion project has been operating in Minneapolis since June 2022 using traditional electrical energy.
The $7.4 million Mankato project makes sense as it can be developed on land Centerpoint already owns on North Riverfront Drive to house the 1 megawatt solar array.
An electrolyzer will convert water into its base elements and be a 5% blend of hydrogen gas into the natural gas supply in the area.
The innovative plant is another piece, albeit small, of providing the local grid with energy that can be clean and relatively cheap.
The hydrogen will only replace about 5% of the natural gas but could be expanded to a 20% blend.
There will also be a possibility to store the hydrogen energy and make it accessible via portable tanks that could be used at larger Mankato industrial users of natural gas.
On cloudy days or at night, the hydrogen plant will rely on traditional electricity from the grid.
The city of Mankato recently approved the project and may benefit itself for use of the energy for its buildings.
The lifetime reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be similar to taking 6,000 cars off the road for one year.
The city has begun the permitting process with completion of the project expected at the end of 2027.
Its also fits in with a recently passed Minnesota law that encourages such innovative carbon reduction projects.
The innovation projects are already being financed by a $1.50 charge on energy bills and will also likely receive some federal tax credits to help finance the project.
Mankato was chosen due to the company’s long history in the area and the presence of large industrial users of natural gas.
The project is a win-win for Mankato-area consumers and businesses and will highlight the region as one at the forefront of this carbon-reducing technology.