Today we heard from John Swanson, Generations Strategies Manager of the Nebraska Public Power (NPPD) District Sheldon Station. NPPD is partnering with two companies to retrofit the current coal burning station into one which is using Hydrogen as the source for generating electricity. The main partner for this project is Monolith, a Carbon Black producer. Carbon black is used in many products from rubber to printer ink. The company has refined the process of turning natural gas, which is carbon with four hydrogens, into carbon (carbon black). They use an arc of electricity to separate the hydrogen from the carbon, producing carbon black and a byproduct of hydrogen. NPPD will take the hydrogen molecule and use it as fuel to create steam to power turbines which will create electricity. The byproduct will be water. Currently they are using coal which has carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This new method will decrease the carbon footprint left by the current process, decrease emissions, increase the electric load and stimulate economic development. Planning began in 2014 and the carbon black manufacturing plant had its groundbreaking in 2016. Plans include retooling the current coal burning plant to hydrogen, with the carbon black plant located next to it. Thus Nebraska has the potential of becoming the largest carbon black producer in the world. Looks like a win-win for all involved.