ABB has been selected to join the Bair Energy Green H₂ and Technology Alliance to provide expertise on turnkey automation, electrification and digitalization solutions that support the optimization of low-cost green H₂ production at the 1-GW Clear Fork Texas facility.

Phase one of the project will utilize renewable power to produce up to 33,000 kg/d of green H₂ initially, with daily capacity designed to increase to 132,000 kg by 2028. The green H₂, which emits zero carbon when used as an energy source, will be liquefied on site, stored and transported to customers to help establish H₂ networks in the mobility and transportation industry.

ABB Adaptive Execution, a project methodology from design through to operations, will be employed to integrate expert teams, new technologies, agile processes and shared learnings. Using a portfolio of ABB products this helps customers reduce capital costs, while delivering projects ahead of schedule.

The Memorandum of Understanding between ABB and Bair Energy provides scope to explore deploying digital twin technology enabled by the ABB Ability 800xA Simulator and ABB Ability Process Power Simulator. These solutions will integrate electrical and process controls with dynamic simulation to provide a virtual representation of how the plant is designed, operated and maintained. This enables a shorter new plant start-up period, helps train operators and tests changes in a realistic but disconnected environment.

With transportation the number one cause of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., the project aims to provide a significant step in the decarbonization of the U.S. transport industry. Due to start operating in 2025, the Clear Fork Texas Project will be one of the largest locally produced green H₂ facilities.

“We are particularly pleased to be part of this project to support low-cost H₂ production, and sustainable transport in the U.S. and globally,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “It is an exciting time for H₂ in the U.S. following the Inflation Reduction Act incentives passed last year, which coupled with alliance formations such as this, support projections of reducing the cost of green H₂ production to under $0/kg by 2030.”

“Our collaboration with ABB, and their expertise in automation, electrification and digitalization solutions, will help us to bring the Clear Fork Texas Project one major step closer to success,” said Nicholas Bair, Chief Executive Officer of Bair Energy. “The deployment of ABB Adaptive Execution will also enable us to both reduce our CAPEX by 20% and speed up our delivery time of the facility by 10%–20%, which is a game changer for a project of this scale.”