Duke Energy Florida has introduced the DeBary Hydrogen Production Storage System in Volusia County, marking the first demonstration project in the United States capable of producing, storing, and combusting up to 100% green hydrogen through an integrated system.
The new facility operates by using energy from Duke Energy Florida’s existing DeBary solar site to power two electrolyzer units. These units separate water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen atoms. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere, while the green hydrogen is stored in reinforced containers for later use.
When energy demand peaks, the stored hydrogen is supplied to a combustion turbine that has been upgraded with GE Vernova technology. This turbine can operate on a blend of natural gas and hydrogen or run entirely on hydrogen.
According to Duke Energy Florida, this approach increases flexibility for natural gas turbines and supports the expansion of renewable energy sources within its generation fleet. Because green hydrogen can be used on demand, it allows turbines to operate independently of weather conditions or time of day. This reliability supports greater integration of intermittent renewable sources like solar power while helping manage fuel costs for customers and meeting increased electricity demand.
“Diverse generation is strong, reliable generation,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “The DeBary hydrogen project underscores Duke Energy Florida’s deep understanding of that notion and our commitment to making strategic infrastructure investments that will allow us to continue providing value for our customers while meeting their rapidly increasing demand for energy.”
Reggie Anderson, vice president of regulated and renewable energy at Duke Energy Florida, added: “The DeBary system allows for safe, reliable generation and storage of clean energy. Duke Energy Florida is proud of this successful innovation and the lasting impact it will have on our industry, our company and, most importantly, our customers.”
Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida with a total capacity of 12,300 megawatts. Its parent company Duke Energy serves 8.4 million electric utility customers across six states and owns 54,800 megawatts of capacity nationwide.
Duke Energy continues its efforts toward an energy transition by investing in grid upgrades and cleaner forms of generation such as renewables and energy storage alongside traditional resources like natural gas and nuclear power.
More information about these initiatives can be found at duke-energy.com or through the Duke Energy News Center.
