Last Friday (September 2), the US Economic Development Administration (EDA), awarded $50m to the partnership of 25 organisations, H2theFuture, to develop a new energy cluster across South Louisiana.

Coming from the $1bn American Rescue Plan Act, aiming to boost economic recovery post pandemic, the $50m grant is also set to be supplemented by £24.5m in funds provided by the State of Louisiana, bringing the total project pot to $74.5m.

H2 View understands, the partnership hopes to develop components spanning the clean hydrogen life cycling including research and development at Louisiana-based universities, to an end-use project at the Port of South Louisiana.

Led by Greater New Orleans, Inc. H2theFuture plan to develop and implement a clean hydrogen cluster strategy that will retain and create jobs in the region, while lowering carbon emissions in the region’s industrial corridor.

In pursuit of developing the cluster, the partnership will execute projects across five components:

Hydrogen workforce – Industry training for displaced workers, led by the Louisiana Community & Technical College System.
Hydrogen Business Development – A strategy to attract new businesses and grow or retain regional businesses across the hydrogen value chain.
Hydrogen Testbeds – University facilities and programming to enable translational research of low carbon hydrogen technologies.
Hydrogen NeXus (New Energy Centre of the US) – A physical and programmatic hub for a range of clean energy programmes and initiatives.
Hydrogen Public Private Partnership – The ‘first ever’ US hydrogen fuelling barge located at the Port of South Louisiana.

Michael Hecht, CEO & President of Greater New Orleans, Inc., said, “We are grateful for the vision of the US Department of Commerce and Economic Development Administration that made H2theFuture possible. Moreover, we want to recognise that this exciting project has come together due to the work and trust of two dozen organisations across South Louisiana, and we extend our gratitude to these outstanding partners, as well.”

“As the first state in the Gulf South to implement a Climate Action Plan, Louisiana has demonstrated the vision and leadership required to meet the historic challenge that climate change represents. This infusion of federal and state dollars, on top of the nearly $20bn of private capital investment in Louisiana emissions reduction projects announced in the last two years alone, moves us closer to the ultimate goal: Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.”