Glass manufacturers in the United States are set to benefit from hydrogen funding after an announcement by the government.
President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm selected seven regional clean hydrogen hubs to receive $7 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, which will help accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen.
Among the selected regions was the Midwest Hydrogen Hub (Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2); Illinois, Indiana, Michigan), a key area for industry including several glass sites.
The announcement said: “Located in a key U.S. industrial and transportation corridor, the Midwest Hydrogen Hub will enable decarbonisation through strategic hydrogen uses including steel and glass production.
“This Hydrogen Hub plans to produce hydrogen by leveraging diverse and abundant energy sources, including renewable energy, natural gas, and low-cost nuclear energy. The Midwest Hydrogen Hub anticipates creating 13,600 direct jobs—12,100 in construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs.”
Scott Cooper, president of the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC) said: “The recently announced Glass Regional Hydrogen Hubs represents a major investment in hydrogen generation infrastructure in the US.
“Today, using hydrogen as even a partial substitute for primary melting fuel is extremely challenging as there simply is not enough hydrogen on the market.
“Now, there is a path to having much more clean hydrogen available for the US glass industry to consider this as a decarbonisation option.
“Now, US glass manufacturers need to reach out to the announced regional hubs to understand how they can benefit from the increased supply and utilise tax incentives to offset the cost of the hydrogen.
“GMIC is excited for the project opportunities for the glass industry in the coming years.”
