Fidelis New Energy to pursue energy and data center developments in West Virginia
Aug 17, 2023 | Posted by MadalineDunn
Fidelis New Energy has announced it has chosen Mason County, West Virginia, US, as the location for a lifecycle net zero hydrogen production facility and a 1GW data center campus, known as the Mountaineer GigaSystem and the Monarch Cloud Campus. The campus could reportedly see a $5 billion investment.
According to the company, waste heat from the facilities will be redistributed to co-located greenhouses for food production. The projects will also use Fidelis' hydrogen production technology, FidelisHR, which enables the production of carbon-neutral hydrogen using natural gas, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and renewable energy.
The first of four phases of the project is expected to commence operations in 2028, with each phase projected to produce over 500 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
Further, according to Fidelis, around 10 million metric tons per year of CO2 will be permanently stored when all four phases of the Mountaineer GigaSystem are operational.
The company also announced a letter of intent with Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) to support the evaluation, development, and delivery of its BrightLoop hydrogen projects at the Mountaineer site. This technology reportedly enables the production of "cost-competitive clean net-zero" hydrogen from waste biomass, including fallen trees, sawmill waste, and other solid fuels, as well as natural gas combined with carbon capture, use, and sequestration.
Speaking about the development, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said: "I am beyond excited that West Virginia will be the home of the Mountaineer GigaSystem and Monarch Cloud Campus. West Virginia has a long history as an energy powerhouse for our nation, thanks to our hardworking people who know how to get the job done."
"And now, we're in a great position to make the most of a new fuel – hydrogen – through this incredible project in Mason County. There's simply no doubt that Fidelis is going to help shape the future of West Virginia in a major, major way by assisting in the commercial lift-off of some truly exciting new industries," he added.
Meanwhile, Dan Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of Fidelis, commented: “We would like to express our gratitude to Governor Jim Justice and his administration, including Director Mike Graney, Secretary Mitch Carmichael, the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, and Mason County Economic Development for recognizing the value the Mountaineer GigaSystem and the Monarch Cloud Campus bring to West Virginia.”
John Musgrave, the Executive Director of the Mason County Development Authority, said that the project's four-phase construction plan will provide both substantial employment opportunities for the local workforce, and positively impact on the region's economy. "The influx of workers and the establishment of the facility will bring additional business, industry, and new technology to Mason County, the state, and the surrounding region. This excludes the employment in data centers and greenhouses," he said.
According to the company, waste heat from the facilities will be redistributed to co-located greenhouses for food production. The projects will also use Fidelis' hydrogen production technology, FidelisHR, which enables the production of carbon-neutral hydrogen using natural gas, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and renewable energy.
The first of four phases of the project is expected to commence operations in 2028, with each phase projected to produce over 500 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
Further, according to Fidelis, around 10 million metric tons per year of CO2 will be permanently stored when all four phases of the Mountaineer GigaSystem are operational.
The company also announced a letter of intent with Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) to support the evaluation, development, and delivery of its BrightLoop hydrogen projects at the Mountaineer site. This technology reportedly enables the production of "cost-competitive clean net-zero" hydrogen from waste biomass, including fallen trees, sawmill waste, and other solid fuels, as well as natural gas combined with carbon capture, use, and sequestration.
Speaking about the development, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said: "I am beyond excited that West Virginia will be the home of the Mountaineer GigaSystem and Monarch Cloud Campus. West Virginia has a long history as an energy powerhouse for our nation, thanks to our hardworking people who know how to get the job done."
"And now, we're in a great position to make the most of a new fuel – hydrogen – through this incredible project in Mason County. There's simply no doubt that Fidelis is going to help shape the future of West Virginia in a major, major way by assisting in the commercial lift-off of some truly exciting new industries," he added.
Meanwhile, Dan Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of Fidelis, commented: “We would like to express our gratitude to Governor Jim Justice and his administration, including Director Mike Graney, Secretary Mitch Carmichael, the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, and Mason County Economic Development for recognizing the value the Mountaineer GigaSystem and the Monarch Cloud Campus bring to West Virginia.”
John Musgrave, the Executive Director of the Mason County Development Authority, said that the project's four-phase construction plan will provide both substantial employment opportunities for the local workforce, and positively impact on the region's economy. "The influx of workers and the establishment of the facility will bring additional business, industry, and new technology to Mason County, the state, and the surrounding region. This excludes the employment in data centers and greenhouses," he said.