Two companies are joining forces to build a hydrogen fuel production facility in Wilbarger County near Vernon. The plant will eventually produce over 200 metric tons per day of hydrogen for use in fuel cells.
The two companies are Air Products and The AES Corporation.
"We are honored that these two industry-leading global corporations are looking to our county as the site of this major energy project," said Wilbarger County Judge Greg Tyra. "Texas is known as the home for so many world-class companies and facilities working to provide real energy solutions. We look forward to Wilbarger County becoming the site of the largest green hydrogen project in the U.S."
The plant will cost about $4 billion to construct and will run on wind and solar power.
"The new facility in Texas will be, by far, the largest mega-scale clean hydrogen production facility in the U.S. to use wind and sun as energy sources. We have been working on the development of this project with AES for many years and it will be competitive on a world-scale while bringing significant tax, job and energy security benefits to Texas," said Air Products CEO Seifi Ghasemi.
Hydrogen fuel cells are used in an increasing number of heavy-duty commercial trucks. It's considered a clean fuel. The federal government also offers a tax credit for the production of qualified clean hydrogen.
The plant will create 115 permanent operations jobs and about 200 transportation and distribution jobs. Construction should generate about 1,300 temporary jobs.
"The Air Products/AES hydrogen project is a game changer for Wilbarger County," said Business Development Corporation of Vernon Member Rick Hardcastle. "We welcome this project and the significant new jobs to be created during construction and beyond. With this project, we're entering an exciting next chapter."
The companies expect the hydrogen plant to begin commercial operations in 2027.
"With the announcement of this groundbreaking facility by Air Products and AES, the State of Texas will extend its leadership in U.S. energy production and help meet our country’s energy needs for decades to come," said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. "This project will not only bring hundreds of jobs and millions in revenue to the Lone Star State, but will also expand our state's robust energy sector and further solidify Texas as a global powerhouse in this critical industry."
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