Hydrogen Fuel Cell Microgrid Project: Energy Innovation, Integration and Assurance

Fargo, N.D. (April 29, 2024) – BWR Innovation announces it was recently granted a two-year subcontract by The Global Connective Center, LLC as a part of an agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop and integrate capabilities for a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Microgrid (H2MG) to promote operation energy resilience. The H2MG project is a research, development, testing and evaluation effort to demonstrate and assess the feasibility and performance of the solar-H2 storage and off-take systems to support island-able microgrids. The project is intended to advance the understanding of operational H2 energy and provide a model to replicate microgrids for the Department of Defense (DoD).

H2MG project will leverage and expand the current capabilities of the 1.5 MW Pacific Energy Assurance Renewables Laboratory (PEARL) PV microgrid, which was initiated in 2016 at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH) in Hawaii. Enhancements will deploy new hydrogen technologies and systems to produce, store and utilize compressed gas and liquified hydrogen from solar electricity generated by the existing PEARL microgrid. The project will demonstrate an initial proof of concept (known as PEARL H2) for DoD microgrids using hydrogen off-take for fuel cell production and sustainable installation energy, exploring transportable capability to support military operations.

BWR Innovations will deliver the hydrogen fuel cell microgrid, which will include a 1 MW electrolyzer, compressor, 600 kg of hydrogen storage, 600 kW of PEM fuel cells and the software integration to control and integrate into the existing microgrid. The hydrogen fuel cells are manufactured in partnership with Intelligent Energy and the electrolyzer and storage will be manufactured in partnership with Pneumatic Hydraulics.

Dr. Joel Jorgenson, BWR president and CEO, states, “BWR is proud to be selected as the equipment vendor and integrator in this critical Air Force project for clean grid resilience. This AFRL project is an important demonstration of the BWR hydrogen fuel cell integration technology. We expect that the results from this project will reflect the importance of hydrogen as a critical component in the clean energy microgrid solutions.”

Key deliverables for the project include hydrogen safety protocols and operating procedures, a techno-economic analysis (TEA), and business models for cost-effective and sustainable operation. H2MG offers significant transition opportunities, scaling from the initial PEARL H2 Microgrid proof of concept to strategic locations worldwide that promote regional stability and energy security.

The project is supported by a robust stakeholder base that includes the Indo-Pacific Command, the National Guard Bureau, the Hawaii Air National Guard and the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command. It is bolstered by the United States Air Force (USAF) commitment to renewable energy and underpinned by clean energy initiatives outlined by the DoD and each services’ climate action plans.
Planning and execution of this project includes partners from Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies, BWR Innovations, NEOEx Systems, SAGE Pacific, Moran Innovation and Ohio State University, who are all considered leaders in renewable and sustainable energy.

About BWR Innovations

BWR Innovations, LLC is a Fargo, North Dakota-based private company with a team of seasoned, accomplished professionals who have integrated system controls and telemetry with hydrogen/fuel-cell based products. Their products include the Oncore Energy and Oncore Microgrid hydrogen fuel cell systems