Duke Energy Florida has introduced the DeBary Hydrogen Production Storage System in Volusia County, marking what it says is the first demonstration project in the United States capable of producing, storing, and combusting up to 100% green hydrogen through an integrated system.
The process starts at Duke Energy Florida’s DeBary solar site. Solar energy powers two electrolyzer units that split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere, while the green hydrogen is stored in reinforced containers. When energy demand peaks, the stored hydrogen is delivered 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 diversifies its generation fleet. The company states that using green hydrogen as an on-demand energy source allows turbines to be activated as needed, independent of weather or time of day. This reliability supports more use of intermittent renewable sources like solar power while maintaining service for growing customer 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 operates as a subsidiary of Duke Energy and owns 12,300 megawatts of capacity serving 2 million customers across a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida. Its parent company serves electric utility customers across six states and owns 54,800 megawatts of capacity nationwide.
Duke Energy continues its transition toward cleaner energy by investing in grid upgrades and new generation resources such as renewables and storage.
More information about Duke Energy can be found at duke-energy.com and through its social media channels.
