A South Korean company plans to build clean-hydrogen facility in Polk County using natural gas from a nearby pipeline.
During his visit to South Korea on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a memorandum of understanding with LowCarbon Hydrogen Corp. to create a research hub for clean hydrogen technology in Mulberry.
The company is set to break ground on June 6 for Florida’s first hydrogen fuel plant on 10 acres, and DeSantis is expected to join the ceremony.
“We’re excited about this project,” said Sean Malott, president and CEO of the Central Florida Development Council. The CFDC has been working for months to bring LowCarbon to the region.
From an economic perspective, the company is expected to invest more than $100 million to develop the facility and provide 150 jobs on site with an average annual salary of $60,000 or more, he said.
The plant will produce “blue hydrogen” made from natural gas, but solar power could be an option down the road to power its operations, he said.
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As part of the memorandum signed by the governor Wednesday, the company has agreed to collaborate with “Space Florida to support the development and deployment of clean hydrogen and related technologies for aerospace and space industry launch applications,” the governor’s release said.
“The hydrogen is needed for space operations and fuel for rockets and other things,” Malott said. “Hence the interest from Space Florida.
“We're finding that Polk County companies continue to be involved in various aspects of the space industry,” he said. “You don’t have to be on the Cape (Canaveral) to participate in space operations.”
Polk companies make parts for the space industry and now they will be producing fuel, Malott said.
According to a report by e2news.com on the LowCarbon website, the other signers of the memorandum included the Florida Space Agency, LowCarbon and Ocean Green Hydrogen. Kim Seok-bung, head of the LowCarbon strategic planning division, was also a signer at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, the report said.
Hydrogen fuel could have more uses than just space exploration.
South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai already produces cars using hydrogen fuel that exhaust water and are used on several continents.
There are currently zero hydrogen fueling stations for alternative fuel vehicles in Florida, according to the U.S. Department of Energy website. The most alternative energy stations are for electric vehicles at 7,286 public stations and another 794 private charging stations.
There are federal funding sources for clean energy projects such as LowCarbon’s project. They have not asked for local funding assistance, the county said.
In January, the Biden Administration announced that $750 million was available for research, development and demonstration efforts aimed at reducing the cost to make clean hydrogen.
Commission Chairman George Lindsey met with LowCarbon officials during their visit months ago to Polk County, he said.
“It is exciting about what they plan to do there in south Mulberry,” Lindsey said.
DeSantis’ announcement Wednesday was focused on the contribution the deal would have on the space industry in Florida.
“Our state is taking a bold step toward promoting long-term development in the aerospace and space industry across the entire supply chain,” DeSantis said. “From manufacturing and launching to fuel production, Florida is the global leader in the new space economy.”
“This partnership with LowCarbon Corporation and Ocean Green Hydrogen adds to an ecosystem which allows business to build, launch, recover, refurbish, and relaunch, all within the Sunshine State,” she said.
Frank DiBello, president and CEO of Space Florida, said, “Florida is where leading aerospace companies get everything they need to see their new idea take off, and with our strategic partnership with LowCarbon Corporation and Ocean Green Hydrogen we are diversifying opportunities across the fuel supply chain."
