NextEra Energy Resources, LLC and Linde are planning to develop an up to $1bn clean hydrogen facility west of Tonopah, in Maricopa County, Arizona. 

The Gila Hydrogen Facility will be developed by Gila Hydrogen, LLC, a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of NextEra Energy, in collaboration with Linde. 

The companies plan to develop the new facility on 173 acres of land 10 miles west of Tonopah. 

Groundbreaking is expected in 2024, with initial commercial operations staring in 2025, and full operations in 2026.

It will have a production capacity of up to 120 metric tonnes of liquid hydrogen per day. While the developer has yet to make a final decision about the facility’s hydrogen production, Gila Hydrogen “is primarily focused on producing green hydrogen,” according to the documents submitted to Maricopa County’s  Planning & Zoning Commission. 

Solar energy could be purchased off the Western power grid from the nearby APS Delaney substation, and the land around the proposed location for the facility could be used to develop new solar farms. 

Pink hydrogen produced using nuclear power from Arizona’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station is also cited as an example.

The hydrogen would be used to power trucks, and Gila Hydrogen has said it is already in discussion with fleet operators about potential offtake agreements. The facility’s location close to both I-10 and the Salmoe Road interchange would make it easy to transport the liquified hydrogen to Phoenix or California.