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Wind-to-Hydrogen Project

Basin Electric Power Cooperative, with U.S. Department of Energy funding arranged by U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan, developed a cutting edge research project to turn intermittent wind energy into a value-added energy source that can be stored and used as needed.

Wind-to-Hydrogen project dedication

The electrolyzer, an integral part of Basin Electric’s Wind-to-Hydrogen project, was delivered to the NDSU North Central Research Extension Center in Minot in June 2007. The unit was manufactured in Belgium and supplied by Hydrogenics Corp., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It takes power from wind turbines, and runs the electrolyzer to break apart water (H2O) into oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H2). The Wind-to-Hydrogen project was was dedicated on July 21, 2007. The station is the first in the region.

The project is carried out with wind energy from Basin Electric’s wind resources at Minot, Edgeley and Wilton, North Dakota. As electricity is produced by wind turbines, it will be dynamically scheduled over the local transmission system in “near real time” from the turbines to the hydrogen production site. The hydrogen produced is used to refuel hydrogen-powered vehicles and a tractor converted to run on hydrogen.

Curtis Jabs, senior legislative representative for Basin Electric, says Senator Byron Dorgan has been a huge supporter of wind and developing hydrogen as a fuel of the future.  This project uses renewable wind generation to produce hydrogen, a renewable fuel with no emissions. Three General Motors 2006 Flexfuel pickups have already been converted to run on hydrogen fuel, and are used by Verendrye Electric, Central Power Electric Cooperative and the North Central Research Extension Center. Also, Butler Machinery Company has provided an agricultural tractor for the project. It’s currently being converted by North Dakota State University to run on hydrogen fuel.

“Promoting and demonstrating how hydrogen technologies can further enhance our wind energy goals is a key component of North Dakota’s ongoing energy strategy,” Jabs says. “We believe hydrogen technology can become an important part of our future energy mix, and we are pleased to be playing a role in this ground-breaking project. Through this project we are advancing North Dakota’s reputation for developing renewable energy technologies and contributing to a national objective to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.”

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Wind-to-Hydrogen brochure

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Video Gallery videos

• Hydrogen tractor
• Wind-to-Hydrogen dedication
• Wind-to-hydrogen electrolyzer