Kern Energy has announced a significant investment in its Bakersfield California refinery, reducing its carbon footprint while improving efficiency through a partnership with Claire Technologies' hydrogen storage and release system, alongside seven HyAxiom, Inc. (HyAxiom) hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
A provider in fuel cell technology, supplying power and heat for commercial and industrial uses, HyAxiom will provide its fuel cell capable of operating on 100% co-produced hydrogen, producing up to 3 MW of zero emission electricity to the refinery. "The installation of HyAxiom's hydrogen-powered fuel cells at Kern Energy's refining facility represents a transformative step forward in clean energy innovation," said Doo Soon Lee, CEO of HyAxiom. "As demonstrated by over 70 MW of the 100% direct hydrogen-powered fuel cells in operation globally, we will deliver resilient, emission-free electricity while supporting the decarbonisation of critical industries, like refining. We are proud to play a role in advancing the use of hydrogen as a key solution for achieving a more sustainable energy future in the Americas."
Incorporating Claire Technologies' patented system, the project will also store hydrogen in a stable liquid form, making it available for on-demand release to serve other processes within refinery operations when needed. "We are delighted to partner with Kern Energy and HyAxiom to demonstrate our ability to store hydrogen in existing tankage which can then be released on demand using Claire's proprietary EzH2TM technology. This opens the door for large scale energy storage to be achieved using existing refinery facilities," commented Paul Allinson, Founder of Claire Technologies. "This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of advancing clean energy technologies and revolutionising hydrogen storage at ambient conditions in the energy industry."