The first clean hydrogen project to be produced by Invenergy has reached commercial operations. Invenergy is the largest privately held developer, owner, and operator of clean energy solutions and this project is a 5-acre Sauk Valley Hydrogen (Sauk Valley) facility in Rock Falls, Illinois.

Sauk Vally can produce a maximum of 40 metric tons of clean hydrogen every year by using power from Invenergy’s co-located solar facility and Ohmium International’s electrolyzer technology. They can also store a maximum of 400 kg of clean hydrogen on-site.

The initial hydrogen supply from Sauk Valley was used as a cooling agent within a gas turbine at the Nelson Energy Center which is Invenergy’s 980-megawatt natural gas facility. Sauk Valley also has a loading capability so hydrogen can be shipped and used offsite. Their first order is due to be delivered to an Aether Fuels project, by Certarus.

Sauk Valley emphasizes Invenergy’s commitment to supporting the state’s clean energy economy and it builds on Invenergy's strong investment in the State. This project is Invenergy’s 22nd clean energy project which has successfully finished development within Illinois. Now, the company’s portfolio of operational energy solutions includes natural gas generation, solar, clean hydrogen, wind, and advanced energy storage projects.

Joel Schroeder, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Technology at Invenergy, commented, “A broad range of industries have identified the immense potential of clean hydrogen, and I am extremely proud that Invenergy has again invested in the talent and technology to pioneer a new energy asset with multiple end users. I congratulate the elite team we assembled for building Sauk Valley and I look forward to seeing their unmatched skills support the development of future clean hydrogen production facilities in our portfolio.” 

Arne Ballantine, Ohmium CEO, added, "Collaborating with Invenergy on the Sauk Valley Hydrogen project has been incredible, and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional teams involved. We are thrilled that our cutting-edge PEM electrolyzer technology is making this clean hydrogen resource a reality. This is a significant step toward a sustainable energy future, and we are eager to see its positive impact across sectors.”

Jon Horek, Vice President for Hydrogen at Invenergy, mentioned, “Invenergy’s significant renewables portfolio allows our team to produce clean hydrogen for ‘hard-to-abate’ sectors of the economy across the country at scale, especially large hydrogen consumers such as liquid fuels and chemicals plants. We are excited to supply Aether with hydrogen from Sauk Valley, demonstrating our unique market capabilities and strong partnerships.”

Conor Madigan, CEO Aether Fuels stated, “Invenergy has an outstanding reputation as a leader in clean energy innovation and we were fortunate to secure the first delivery from their impressive Sauk Valley Hydrogen facility.”