Hidrogenii, a joint venture between Plug Power and Olin Corp., said it has commissioned a 15 metric-ton-per-day (TPD) hydrogen liquefaction plant in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. Plug Power on April 17 said the facility is among the largest electrolytic hydrogen liquefaction plants in North America.

The company on Thursday said the project is a major milestone in strengthening the regional hydrogen supply chain, and will support the U.S. transition to low-carbon energy.

Plug Power in a news release said the newly commissioned facility will liquify hydrogen produced by Olin for trailer shipments across the U.S. It will serve Plug’s material handling customers and utilize the company’s novel spot pricing market.

The plant is designed to liquefy up to 15 TPD of hydrogen at maximum capacity, increasing Plug’s total production capacity to 40 TPD.

Plug Power earlier this year announced it had received a $1.7-billion loan guarantee from the U.S. Dept. of Energy to produce hydrogen fuel. The company in February said it also has plans to build production plants in India.

Expanding Hydrogen Network

“This Louisiana plant, a milestone in expanding our U.S. hydrogen network, bolsters our financial position by leveraging a dependable, cost-effective hydrogen source, reducing our reliance on third-party suppliers,” said Plug CEO Andy Marsh.

Ken Lane, president and CEO of Olin, said, “This joint venture is consistent with Olin’s value-first approach to build on our existing leading positions through high-value adjacencies or bolt-ons that align with our capital allocation framework.”

Hidrogenii was established in 2022. The entity was formed by Plug and Olin to build and operate the St. Gabriel facility. The companies said the plant “plays a key role in Plug’s broader strategy to scale a national green hydrogen network, joining existing Plug production sites in Woodbine, Georgia (15 TPD), and Charleston, Tennessee (10 TPD).”

Plug Power, headquartered in Latham, New York, provides electrolyzers, liquid hydrogen, fuel cell systems, storage tanks, and fueling infrastructure to industries such as material handling, industrial applications and energy producers—advancing energy independence and decarbonization at scale. The company has electrolyzers deployed across five continents.

Plug Power has deployed more than 72,000 fuel cell systems and 275 fueling stations and is the largest user of liquid hydrogen.  Olin Corp., with its principal office in Clayton, Missouri, is a vertically integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products.

—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.