Bakken Energy to develop largest clean hydrogen production facility in United States

Bakken Energy announced an acquisition plan this week that would allow it to convert a North Dakota synthetic natural gas plant into the largest clean hydrogen production facility in the United States.

Specifically, Bakken Energy is acquiring the assets of the Dakota Gasification Company, a subsidiary of Basin Electric Power Cooperative that owns the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, located near Beulah, N.D. Bakken will transform the Synfuels Plant into the largest and lowest-cost, clean hydrogen production facility in the United States. The Synfuels Plant facility will form the nucleus of a clean energy hub designed to advance decarbonization objectives for the agriculture, power, and transportation sectors.

Typically, new, world-class clean hydrogen production facilities take up to 10 years to begin producing hydrogen and develop regional infrastructure and applications. The redevelopment of the Synfuels Plant will cut this time in half. The facility will produce an estimated 310,000 metric tons of clean hydrogen per year, employing established production and carbon capture processes to produce the clean hydrogen. It will use advanced ATR (autothermal reforming) hydrogen production technology and capture 95 percent of the carbon emissions.

“Today’s announcement that Bakken Energy has reached agreement with Basin Electric on terms to develop a world-class clean hydrogen hub in North Dakota is of historical significance for our state and nation and heralds the extension of North Dakota being home to innovative leadership in fueling and feeding the world,” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said. “The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub will lead to the establishment of new industries, create high-paying jobs, and the development of new domestic and foreign markets. This project illuminates how the power of innovation over regulation can save versus destroy jobs.”

The new North Dakota Hydrogen Hub is expected to be commercially operational in late 2026.

“Today is the dawning of the hydrogen economy in the United States of America,” Bakken Energy Chairman and Founder Steve Lebow said. “Rapidly establishing the viability of low-cost clean hydrogen supply to meet the acceleration of clean hydrogen demand is critical to developing our nation’s hydrogen economy … Our vision is that the Synfuels Plant will continue its historic role as a hub of innovation and pioneering spirit for the great benefit of generations to come.”

As part of the deal with Basin Electric, the Synfuels Plant will continue existing operations through 2025.

“The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub will create a foundation for economic growth and technical innovation extending throughout the upper Midwest,” Bakken Energy CEO Mike Hopkins said. “Driven by our commitment to achieve rapid and large-scale clean hydrogen production, Bakken Energy and our partner Mitsubishi Power have reimagined what is possible and identified the optimal path to leap from blueprint to clean hydrogen production in the shortest time possible. The North Dakota Hydrogen Hub will become a critically important, centrally located hydrogen complex and part of a nationwide, interconnected collection of hubs spanning the country.”