Supporting the Growth of a Clean Hydrogen Economy
Challenge
The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) is a collaborative initiative between the United States Department of Energy (DOE), private industry, state and local governments, academic and technology institutions, non-profit organizations, and community groups working together to build a safe and sustainable clean hydrogen ecosystem in Appalachia.
The primary objective of the ARCH2 initiative is to enable widespread deployment of infrastructure for clean hydrogen production, transport, storage, and end-use in the Appalachian Basin States of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
ARCH2 will use the nation’s lowest-cost natural gas as primary feedstock to enable and sustain a regional H2 economy across multiple end-use sectors in the Appalachian region while providing employment and economic growth to local communities.
TRC was invited to participate in the strategic development of ARCH2 from its earliest collaboration among the original founding members to help define the overall holistic vision to incubate, grow, and integrate a clean hydrogen economy in an area of the country that has been critical to the nation’s energy development since the Industrial Revolution.
Related Services
Solutions
As a founding member, TRC assembled a team of engineers, scientists, economists, and energy policy experts to support the ARCH2 application to the DOE. TRC proceeded in the strategic development by delivering expertise in cybersecurity, industrial and process safety, and federal and state regulatory frameworks to assist in the planning and implementation of the Hub. In addition, TRC formally led efforts to support the Hub’s site safety, security and cybersecurity, and regulatory (National Environmental Policy Act and permitting) requirements.
Results
ARCH2 was awarded Phase 1 DOE funding in July 2024. Over the next decade, the team is positioned to deliver an economically successful and environmentally beneficial ARCH2, which includes integration of a variety of projects from hydrogen, ammonia, and GTL production coupled with carbon capture and sequestration and integrating multiple sector-based end uses across a heterogeneous geography.