Hydrogen Research and Testing
INL develops and tests hydrogen technologies that support reliable energy systems, accelerate commercialization and help industry evaluate performance at scale.
What Is Hydrogen?
Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be produced from a variety of domestic energy resources and used in manufacturing, power generation and industrial processes. It can also support long-duration energy storage and improve the flexibility of integrated energy systems.
As interest in hydrogen continues to grow, researchers are developing technologies that improve production efficiency, reduce costs and support reliable deployment at commercial scale.
The Idaho National Laboratory conducts research across the hydrogen technology lifecycle—from fundamental materials discovery through testing, validation and demonstration—to help advance hydrogen technologies for commercial and industrial applications.
Versatile Energy Carrier
Used in manufacturing and industrial processes.
Multiple Production Pathways
Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic energy resources.
Integrated Energy Systems
Supports flexible operation of complex energy systems while providing long-duration energy storage.
Technology Advancement
Ongoing research improves production efficiency, durability and affordability.
Hydrogen at INL
The Idaho National Laboratory brings together researchers, specialized facilities and testing capabilities to advance hydrogen technologies across the value chain.
Research spans advanced materials, electrochemistry, component testing, integrated energy systems and commercial-scale demonstrations. These capabilities support industry, government and research partners working to improve hydrogen production technologies and accelerate deployment.
- World-Class Expertise - Researchers with decades of experience in electrochemistry, materials science, integrated energy systems and hydrogen technologies.
- Unique Facilities - Specialized laboratories and testing infrastructure support research from laboratory-scale materials through commercial-scale demonstrations.
- Research Through Demonstration - Capabilities span the entire technology lifecycle—from early research through testing, validation and demonstration.
Research to Deployment
INL supports hydrogen technology development at every stage.
Materials Research
Discover and characterize advanced materials and catalysts for hydrogen production technologies.
Electrolysis Development
Translate materials innovations into high-performance electrolysis technologies.
Technology Testing
Evaluate cells, stacks and systems for durability, reliability and performance.
Integrated Energy Systems
Study hydrogen production within complex energy systems using advanced modeling and testing capabilities.
Demonstration
Validate technologies under representative operating conditions to reduce technical risk and support commercial deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research
Proton-conducting SOEC materials development
INL’s premier lab facilities provide the foundation for research excellence. Material experts are leading the development of proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cell (p-SOEC) stacks to produce hydrogen. Some key advantages of this technology include:
- Applicable to splitting steam and removing hydrogen from methane, ethane, and higher alkanes
- Operating temperature under 600° C
- Higher ion conductivity
- Lower activation energy
- Increased energy conversion efficiency
- Pure hydrogen generation, without Nickel oxidation contamination issues
- Proton-conducting materials also require less energy to produce.
These benefits may reduce the cost of electrolytic hydrogen production.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Dong Ding, [email protected].
Electrocatalysis with proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells
INL researchers are developing novel electrochemical applications of p-SOEC for producing polymers and ammonia. A process for producing valuable polymers starts by extracting hydrogen from methane, ethane, and propane. Pure hydrogen is a by-product of this step. Ammonia can be produced by combining protons (hydrogen ions) with nitrogen in the p-SOEC fuel electrode. The Lab has patented novel catalysts for both of these potentially game-changing chemical synthesis options.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Dong Ding, [email protected].
Testing & Validation
Accelerated stress testing: Cells and small stacks
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office sponsors the Lab Consortium for H2 from Next-generation Electrolysis of Water (H2NEW).
H2NEW is helping industry understand and extend the operating life of high-temperature electrolysis cells through accelerated stress testing using multiple stations for button-cell and large-planar cell test stands.
INL recently added a high-pressure (750 psi rating, or ~50 bar) single cell or small stack testing stand to its capability.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Richard Boardman, [email protected]
Stack testing: 25 kWe and 50 kWe
INL’s Energy Systems Laboratory boasts several full-size commercial stack testing units to validate performance and durability. These units recycle and recover hydrogen to reduce the need for it in gas-bottle form.
The system operates unattended with a call-out function to the test leads if failure or unusual operating conditions are detected.
Independent stack testing is helping companies prove technology readiness for installation in larger pre-commercial modules.
The units operate by producing de-ionized water on demand and sending it to a programmable steam generator that produces superheated steam.
The uninterrupted power supply system allows stack tests to be conducted for several thousand continuous hours.
This system is also connected to INL’s real-time grid simulation and associated grid power conditioners. This facilitates studies on real-world duty cycle ramping related to power feed conditioning.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Micah Casteel, [email protected].
100 – 500 kWe modular HTE testing and demonstration
High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE)
INL supports commercial developers looking to design, operate and prove the performance of fully integrated High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) modules.
The first unit to be tested was developed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Bloom Energy, with power input of over 100 kWe DC.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Micah Casteel, [email protected]
HTE demonstration
FuelCell Energy and INL have teamed up on a DOE cost-shared proposal to test a 250 kWe DC modular HTE unit. Following commissioning and system verification, this unit will be tied to a gas conditioning and compression station to supply hydrogen to between two and four motor coach buses that transport employees to the INL Site each day.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Tyler Westover, [email protected].
HTE testing
INL can support other HTE modules for testing to raise the technology readiness for commercial use while enhancing safety and reducing technical risks. These may include units for:
- Reverse water-gas shift reactor for synthesis gas generation (H2 + CO mixtures)
- Ammonia synthesis
- Substitute natural gas (SNG) from CO and H2
- Fuels synthesis
- Hydrogen fuel cell testing
- Hydrogen combustion in gas turbines
- Hydrogen blending with natural gas
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact John Moorehead, [email protected].
Integrated systems testing
Integrated energy systems are essential to developing nuclear-supported hydrogen production. The IES program has established a diverse, non-nuclear facility to support model validation and initial technology demonstration.
When either an existing nuclear plant or future advanced reactor can switch between providing electricity and producing hydrogen, depending on grid demand, profits for cooperating partners will increase.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Shannon Bragg-Sitton, [email protected].
Integrated Energy Systems
Energy Systems Laboratory
Much of INL’s leading hydrogen research occurs at its Energy Systems Laboratory. Here, researchers develop interfaces needed for a nuclear plant to dispatch thermal energy and electricity between a hydrogen plant and the grid. To prepare a nuclear plant to operate under this paradigm, data links connect the Energy Systems Lab to INL’s Human Systems Simulation Laboratory for process monitoring and control.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Tyler Westover, [email protected].
Human Systems Simulation Laboratory
The Human Systems Simulation Lab is a unique capability where human factors can be studied on a physical simulator of a nuclear power plant operator control room. The benefits this lab offers to hydrogen production include:
- Developing the thermal and electrical connections between the nuclear and hydrogen plants
- Supporting development of secure operating systems, operating concepts and data links between the plants
- Developing and testing human factors to ensure safe operations
- Demonstrating the ability to support the grid with specific reserve capacity
- Developing sensors and demonstrating system diagnostic and prognostic control
INL has entered a cooperative agreement with Westinghouse Electric Corporation and GSE Systems to develop simulators and prove operating concepts and control systems that will enable nuclear plants to dispatch energy to close-coupled hydrogen plants.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Tom Ulrich, [email protected].
Demonstration & Deployment
Regional Hydrogen Hub demonstrations
INL is available to support industry-led hydrogen hubs with hub planning, industry engagement, technical and economic assessments, and electrolysis technology integration and testing. Modeling and simulation are key capabilities with far-reaching implications for hydrogen production. Specific INL modeling capabilities include:
- Fundamental High Temperature Electrolysis
stack and module design using dynamic models - Thermal hydraulic modeling
- Plant design, technical evaluations and economic assessments
- Holistic systems integration and optimization
- Digital twins (or virtual models) and real-time plant simulation
- Integration of hydrogen and nuclear plants with grid markets
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Richard Boardman, [email protected].
Hydrogen production demonstrations at nuclear power plants
INL is supporting industry with DOE cost-shared electrolysis demonstration projects at existing nuclear power plants. INL supports these projects with experimental test plan development and execution. The following projects are underway at operating nuclear plants:
- Supporting development of secure operating systems, operating concepts and data links between the plants
- Constellation, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station
- Xcel Energy, Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Tyler Westover, [email protected].
Collaborations & Partnerships
INL drives hydrogen tech progress through diverse collaborations, ensuring global insights and best practice sharing. Our Hydrogen Team excels in synergistic partnerships with academia and industry, propelling innovation for a more secure energy future.
For more information about this work and potential partnership opportunities, please contact Richard Boardman, [email protected].
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