JUNO BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) will supply a 25-megawatt (MW) electrolyzer system for the groundbreaking FPL Cavendish NextGen Hydrogen Hub – Florida’s first of its kind “green” hydrogen plant – which could lay the groundwork for a 100% carbon-free energy future.
“At FPL, we are always looking over the horizon and focused on making smart, long-term investments to build a more modern, stronger and cleaner energy grid that future generations can depend on,” said Eric Silagy, FPL President and CEO. “Since building our first solar energy center in 2009, FPL has constructed 50 solar energy centers, commissioned the world’s largest solar-powered battery and embarked on innovative pilot programs to advance microgrid technology and electric vehicle (EV) charging while eliminating coal from our fleet in Florida. Now, we are helping usher in the next era of Florida’s clean energy future with a 'green' hydrogen pilot project that could be key to unlocking 100% carbon-free electricity.”
The FPL Cavendish NextGen Hydrogen Hub will leverage solar energy to power the electrolysis process that produces “green,” or carbon-free, hydrogen from water. Once produced, the “green” hydrogen will be blended with natural gas and used to power an existing combustion turbine at the co-located FPL Okeechobee Clean Energy Center – creating cleaner energy that will help power FPL customers across the grid. The system will be composed of five Cummins HyLYZER®-1000 PEM electrolyzers for a total of 25 MW – or 10.8 tons of hydrogen produced per day.
“This project is exciting for Cummins as we establish green hydrogen as a viable way to decarbonize the economy here in the United States,” said Amy Davis, Vice President and President of New Power at Cummins. “An electrolyzer installation of this magnitude further solidifies PEM technology as a key to reaching zero emissions in energy-intensive industries. FPL’s commitment to the acceleration of the energy transition and support of future demand for affordable renewables is one we passionately share.”
FPL’s rapid clean energy expansion in Florida
FPL is executing on its “green” hydrogen pilot alongside the largest solar expansion in America. The company is now over 50% of the way toward completing its “30-by-30" goal of installing 30 million solar panels – a goal now expected to come five years earlier in 2025. Last year, the company also commissioned the world’s largest solar-powered battery located in Manatee County, in addition to closing and dismantling the company’s last coal plant in Florida.
Cummins accelerating hydrogen innovation
Cummins has a long history of advanced technology and engineering capabilities and has a broad portfolio of market-leading renewable hydrogen technologies. Cummins has more than 600 active electrolyzers across the globe and has deployed more than 2,000 hydrogen fuel cells. Cummins technology has been part of many of the world’s hydrogen “firsts,” including powering the world’s largest PEM electrolyzer in operation at 20 MW in Bécancour, Canada; the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train, operating across Europe; the world’s first hydrogen refueling station for ships, cars, trucks and industrial customers in Antwerp, Belgium; and being selected to power the largest PEM electrolysis plant in the U.S.
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest vertically integrated rate-regulated electric utility in the U.S. as measured by retail electricity produced and sold. The company serves more than 5.7 million customer accounts supporting more than 11 million residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable electricity. FPL operates one of the cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S and in 2021 won the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for the sixth time in the last seven years. The company received the top ranking in the southern U.S. among large electric providers, according to J.D. Power’s 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM and 2021 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction StudySM. The company was also recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2022 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” and recognized on Fortune’s 2021 list of companies that “Change the World.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
About Cummins Inc.
Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems, hydrogen generation and fuel cell products. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 59,900 people committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online, through a network of company-owned and independent distributor locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and earned about $2.1 billion on sales of $24.0 billion in 2021. See how Cummins is powering a world that’s always on by accessing news releases and more information at https://www.cummins.com/always-on.