The Arizona-California border, between the four major metro markets of Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego, will soon be home to perhaps one of the most ambitious hydrogen production and utilisation sites in the US, featuring advanced transportation test tracks, a hydrogen research institute, a clean fuel airport, marina access and a green housing development.
Hyve 1 is its name, and it’s certainly one to remember. The unique mini ecosystem is a multi-phase clean energy and sustainable living development project that ultimately hopes to produce upwards of four million kilogrammes of green hydrogen per annum to support the blossoming North American hydrogen market.
Led by three managing partners, Christopher Barker, Jack Jakub and Robert Hibbs, Hyve 1 is currently developing a 600+MW solar field, however, green hydrogen will certainly be its number one focus moving forward. “We have an opportunity to redefine what is possible in clean energy, transportation and sustainable living here in the US and across the world,” Barker told gasworld in an exclusive interview.
“The demand for green hydrogen is rapidly outpacing the current market supply. With our location on the Arizona-California border and our access to rail, gas pipelines and multiple US Interstate freeways and waterways, we are well positioned to be a key hydrogen supplier to some of the fastest growing hydrogen markets in the US.”
Education is key
When the world is having to adapt to any sort of change, such as the clean energies shift, education is key, and this is something that Hyve 1 is also looking to prioritize within its landmark development. This educational focus comes in the form of the Clean Energy Academic Research Centre, within is being developed in partnership with the university community. Covering 960 acres of land, the site will be focused on exploring the benefits of clean energy for use in a variety of applications.
Once open, the Institute will also act as a space for nearby universities and colleges to establish a satellite campus focus on clean energy and innovation. With the site, Hyve 1 hopes that it can both support the buildout of its unique campus, but also buildout the workforce that could be behind the future industry as it continues to flourish.
Supporting Hyve 1 on its hydrogen-fuelled mission, Arizona Legislature Representative Frank Carroll, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and member of the Natural Resources Energy and Water Committee, said, “Arizona is the 48th state and at such a youthful age it is rapidly progressed from the days of cattle, cotton, and citrus to be a leading state in technology and innovation.”
“Our industries include agriculture, aerospace, defence, energy, semiconductors, robotic mining, and health care. Our universities and the private sector work collaboratively in R&D at levels never seen. Our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and achieve sustainable goals speak to the people that live and work in Arizona. On behalf of my constituents, I welcome Hyve 1 to Arizona and look forward to the contributions that green hydrogen will make to our environment and economy.”
Gary Dirks, Arizona State University Professor and Senior Director of the Global Future Laboratory, added, “The opportunity for hydrogen in the global energy system looks very bright. Yet there is much to do to advance the technology and the way it is deployed. Partnership between universities, business and government are essential in getting clean hydrogen fuel and products deployed sustainably.”
