Chevron New Energies, a division of Chevron U.S.A., is developing a 5 MW hydrogen production project in California’s Central Valley to create lower carbon energy by utilizing solar power, land, and non-potable produced water from its existing assets at the Lost Hills Oil Field in Kern County.
The low carbon intensity (LCI) electrolytic hydrogen will be produced through electrolysis - the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The facility will produce 2 tons of LCI hydrogen daily and support an expanding hydrogen refueling network.
“Chevron already offers lower carbon fuels like sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel, and others, and this project is expected to expand the portfolio of solutions Chevron could supply to the region,” said Austin Knight, VP for Hydrogen at Chevron New Energies.
“Our ability to meet growing hydrogen demand and help build hydrogen fueling infrastructure in California to a commercial scale with more widespread adoption will be strongly led by state and federal energy policies that promote new lower carbon energy solutions," added Knight.
While the project’s development will take multiple years to complete, the beginning of commercial operations will depend on flexible and supportive legislative and regulatory energy policies, final engineering design, timely permitting, and obtaining the necessary materials.
“This project will help develop key technical and commercial proof points as Chevron New Energies assesses concepts for future scale-up and new lower carbon intensity hydrogen production opportunities,” said Richard Chapman, President and CEO of the Kern Economic Development Corporation. “By locating expected production in the Central Valley, we believe the project will be well positioned to meet the demand of customers along an important transportation corridor, as well as having proximity to key California urban markets.”
