What is the Philly-area hydrogen hub, who’s behind it, and how will it work?

MACH2 is certainly a sexier sounding name than its full version — the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, one of seven hubs around the nation selected this month by President Joe Biden’s administration to begin making hydrogen fuel from renewable sources to power a range of things, from industrial processes to vehicles.

Though officials promised the new hydrogen highway would create 20,000 jobs from a $750 million federal infusion, details have been scant about MACH2 itself. Citing competitive reasons, officials have not released the full MACH2 concept proposal to the public, making it difficult to discern all its moving parts.

However, a clearer picture is emerging of who is behind, and involved in, the Hub: Some of the most powerful agencies, unions, businesses, and universities in the region.

The Inquirer spoke with Colin O’Mara, chairman of the board for MACH2, and Manny Citron, chief of staff for Philadelphia’s Department of Labor, for some details.

MACH2 is a sweeping plan to use solar, wind, and nuclear power to produce hydrogen without the use of greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels. Hydrogen produced locally in the hub would be routed through an existing network of old petroleum infrastructure, such as pipelines and refineries in Philadelphia, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and South Jersey.

It could be delivered to businesses or government agencies to power industrial processes, buses, garbage trucks, and even forklifts.

» READ MORE: New hydrogen hub will create 20,000 jobs and may power SEPTA buses and trash trucks

O’Mara, also CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, and Citron are part of a consortium that submitted the proposal for MACH2, one of seven hubs selected by the Department of Energy to split $7 billion in funding. The AFL-CIO, University of Pennsylvania, SEPTA, DuPont, and the City of Philadelphia are just a few members in the consortium. The Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance Foundation coordinated efforts.

MACH2 is a newly formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit that will act as the “fiscal agent” for the consortium, O’Mara said. The $750 million will be disbursed over five phases. The first $20 million will go toward planning and public outreach and to start the permitting process for some facilities.

The backbone of the hub, O’Mara said, will be the inner refinery pipeline system that connected seven former and current refining or petroleum operations.

“The idea is that there’s existing capacity in those lines that’s unused,” O’Mara said. “And so we’ll have to resleeve them to ensure they’re completely safe. The pressure demands are higher for hydrogen than other fuels. But the idea is to reuse as much as possible in this right of way so communities aren’t disturbed, and there aren’t additional environmental impacts.”

The goal is to have the energy produced by so-called green hydrogen, O’Mara said, meaning it will be made from a process that taps a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. Pink hydrogen is produced using nuclear energy. Both processes use electrolyzers to complete the electrolysis that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Constructions crews will need to retrofit pipes and to install renewable energy sources such as solar arrays, as well as electrolyzers.

Blue hydrogen is a separate process that uses fossil fuels. Plans do not call for blue hydrogen to be produced, a change from the original concept proposal.

Plans call for infrastructure from former petroleum refineries to be repurposed for hydrogen storage and distribution: Energy Transfer’s Marcus Hook Industrial Complex, Hilco Bellwether District (formerly Philadelphia Energy Solutions), and potentially Energy Transfer Eagle Point Terminal in Westville, N.J. The three active refineries are Monroe Energy in Trainer, Delaware County, and PBF Energy’s plants in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, and Delaware City, Del.

MACH2 officials are hosting a virtual public briefing on the project 6 p.m. Wednesday and ask viewers to register online in advance.

The hydrogen has a range of potential uses, O’Mara said, including powering industrial processes, fueling truck fleets, and heating and cooling buildings. It could eventually power ships and planes. And the gas from human waste captured at sewage plants could also be used to make hydrogen.

Hydrogen fuel cells can also be used to produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen across an electrochemical cell — similar to a battery — to produce electricity, water, and small amounts of heat, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A few vehicle manufacturers sell hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in California and Hawaii.

Hydrogen can be stored as gas in tanks or pipelines. And it can be stored by cooling it into liquid at temperatures below minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit. Liquefied hydrogen can be stored in tanks for later use as a fuel.

Monroe Energy in Delaware County plans to use renewable energy to produce hydrogen at its facility that makes jet fuel for Delta Airlines.

PBF Energy has plans to tap solar for use at its Delaware City Refinery. The company wants to use part of 2,500 acres adjacent to the refinery for the solar plan that includes fueling a large fleet of medium-duty trucks with hydrogen.

Facilities outside of refineries, but near existing pipelines, such as Philadelphia International Airport, could tap the network, O’Mara said.

PSE&G plans to produce pink hydrogen from its Salem Nuclear Power Plant in Lower Alloways Creek Township in Salem County, N.J.

Camden-based Holtec International could potentially make what are known as small modular reactors capable of producing pink hydrogen. Small modular reactors are advanced nuclear reactors that are a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor and can be assembled in a factory and transported to a location. But any such use is likely years away.

Hilco, which is redeveloping the former PES site for warehousing and life sciences buildings, could also be a link in the hydrogen chain, though Citron said plans are in a “kicking the tires” phase and could take 12 to 18 months to develop. Preliminary plans call for Hilco to purchase hydrogen that would run through existing pipelines to heat and cool buildings. Hydrogen also could fuel warehouse forklifts.

Citron also said Philadelphia Gas Works could partner with the city. In January, the Philadelphia Water Department and city’s Energy Authority began exploring ways to generate natural gas produced as a waste byproduct that could be used by PGW.

Officials say SEPTA calls for powering 1,400 buses by hydrogen.

Vehicles on the Philadelphia waterfront could be converted from diesel to hydrogen.

Philadelphia has plans to convert about 100 trash trucks and street sweepers from diesel to hydrogen. Citron said the trucks now produce pollution as they route through neighborhoods. Other vehicles in the city’s municipal fleet could also be in the mix.

“All of us breathe that in,” Citron said of diesel pollution. “We can convert that.”

Making the conversion however could take years.

Plans also call for New Jersey’s budding offshore wind industry to produce renewable energy for hydrogen production, officials say. Orsted, which has the state’s first approved wind farm, Ocean Wind I, is a member of the consortium.

Penn, Rowan, Drexel, and University of Delaware would all play a role, according to MACH2 plans, in everything from research to training.

“You have some of the top research labs for fuel cells and for hydrogen in this region already,” O’Mara said. “Obviously Penn is world-class. Drexel has a big program. There’s a big hydrogen program at Rowan. The University of Delaware has the Center for Clean Hydrogen.”

Cheyney University, Delaware State University, and community colleges will serve as job-training and workforce-development centers.

O’Mara and Citron said some projects will see “shovels in the ground” by late 2024 and early 2025 if they get necessary permits approved. It could take a decade to build the entire MACH2 hub.