The Lancaster Planning Commission has granted approval for the development of a solar-powered green hydrogen production facility in the city of Lancaster, California. Element Resources Inc is spearheading the project, which received the green light following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the parties last year.
The Lancaster Clean Energy Center will consist of two sites, with the first spanning 442 acres and the second covering 896 acres. The project aims to install adjacent ground-mounted solar farms totaling just over 650 MW to power the green hydrogen production. Additionally, a 330-MWh long-duration battery energy storage system (BESS) will be incorporated into the design.
The green hydrogen plant will feature 400 MW of alkaline electrolysers, divided into 20 units of 20 MW each, along with liquefied and gaseous hydrogen storage facilities. Initially, the plant will produce over 20,000 tonnes of renewable green hydrogen annually.
The site will be equipped with two cylindrical tanks and three spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tanks, as well as facilities for filling hydrogen transport trailers and zero-emission hydrogen vehicles and trucks. Other amenities include control and office buildings, a warehouse, service buildings, and cooling towers.
Chart Industries Inc, a US gas equipment manufacturer, announced earlier this week that it has secured a contract to supply equipment for the hydrogen production facility.
Commissioning of the Lancaster Clean Energy Center is slated for 2026. The City of Lancaster emphasized in a statement on Wednesday that the center represents just the beginning of a larger plan for future collaboration on the development of the city's renewable hydrogen infrastructure.
