Hydrogen and fuel cells can be incorporated into existing and emerging energy and power systems to avoid curtailment of variable renewable sources, such as wind and solar; enable a more optimal capacity utilization of baseload nuclear, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon-based plants; provide voltage and frequency stabilization support for the electric grid; and/or provide clean, reliable distributed and backup power generation. The use of hydrogen for energy storage can play a key role in these systems.
Systems development and integration (SDI) projects in this application space help to enable the production, storage, and/or transport of low-cost clean hydrogen from intermittent and curtailed renewable sources, while providing grid reliability and dynamic response to match grid demands. They also support market penetration of renewable energy systems, such as wind and solar, and help provide additional revenue streams for nuclear power plants producing clean hydrogen with otherwise curtailed power when power prices are low.
The SDI subprogram's strategic priorities in energy storage and power generation focus on grid integration of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, integration with renewable and nuclear power, and can provide primary or backup power, such as data centers.