Programs will Boost Clean Energy Innovation, Provide High-Quality Jobs, Create Economic Revitalization in Coalfield Communities
RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Department of Energy today announced awardees for the Southwest Virginia Hydrogen Hub Planning Grants to three projects that will advance clean hydrogen production, storage, and end-use applications while supporting economic revitalization in coalfield communities. GTI Energy,Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems, and WireTough Cylinders, LLC, will each receive $250,000 in planning funds to strengthen the emerging hydrogen ecosystem in Southwest Virginia.
“These planning grants represent a pivotal step in transforming Southwest Virginia’s energy landscape, harnessing hydrogen innovation to deliver clean, reliable power while reigniting economic prosperity in our coalfield communities through high-quality jobs and sustainable development,” said Glenn Davis, Director of the Virginia Department of Energy. “By supporting these visionary projects, Virginia Energy is positioning the region as a national leader in the hydrogen economy, leveraging its unique resources and workforce to build a brighter, energy-secure future.”
Funded through Virginia Energy’s Southwest Virginia Hydrogen Hub initiative under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act State Energy Program, these planning grants are designed to assess opportunities, identify pilot projects, and develop implementation roadmaps that leverage the region’s existing energy assets, industrial sites, and skilled workforce. Each project aligns with the Commonwealth’s All-American, All-of-the-Above Energy Plan and supports the buildout of a hydrogen value chain spanning production, storage, transportation, and end uses in energy, transportation, and advanced manufacturing.
Together, these three planning projects will help quantify economic and environmental benefits, identify priority pilot projects, and inform policy and investment strategies that support reliable, affordable, and clean energy for Southwest Virginia. The work will engage local governments, economic development organizations, educational institutions, and community stakeholders to ensure that hydrogen hub development aligns with regional needs, creates quality jobs, and leverages previously mined lands, energy ready industrial sites, and existing infrastructure.
GTI Energy: VISION H2 Feasibility Study
GTI Energy’s Virginia Infrastructure and Systems Integration Opportunity Navigation for Hydrogen (VISION H2) project will conduct a comprehensive hydrogen feasibility analysis for the coalfield counties of Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Tazewell, Russell, and Lee. Leveraging methodologies and data from GTI Energy’s Reliable Affordable Infrastructure for Secure Energy initiative, the study will evaluate at least eight hydrogen production and delivery pathways, including blue and green hydrogen, and assess underground hydrogen storage opportunities to support long-duration, low carbon energy systems. The project will produce a regional hydrogen hub roadmap with technoeconomic, lifecycle emissions, and infrastructure analyses tailored to Southwest Virginia. GTI Energy is based out of Des Plaines, Illinois.
“Virginia is taking a systems-level approach to aligning hydrogen infrastructure with economic priorities, looking at what works, what scales, and what delivers real value,” said Paula Gant, President and CEO, GTI Energy. “Through VISION H2, we will build on the region’s natural gas infrastructure and operational expertise to progress energy system performance, improving reliability, accessibility, and resilience for energy users across Southwest Virginia.”
CCALS: Hydrogen-Hybrid Aviation and Use Cases
The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems (CCALS), based in Petersburg, will identify and build hydrogen and hydrogen hybrid use cases across Southwest Virginia, with a focus on aviation and aviation adjacent applications. Building on previously funded work and a new Energy Centric UAS Center for Critical Infrastructure, CCALS will extend demonstration, testing, and training activities to Lonesome Pine Airport in Wise County and other Southwest localities to create early hydrogen demand, workforce pathways, and supply-chain opportunities in unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. The project will survey regional industries, deploy minimally viable hydrogen hybrid infrastructure, and host training and demonstration events that connect hydrogen producers, distributors, and end users.
“This award empowers CCALS to pioneer hydrogen-hybrid aviation applications at Lonesome Pine Airport and across Southwest Virginia, forging demand-side markets, workforce pathways, and supply chains that propel the region’s hydrogen ecosystem forward,” said Karen R. Jackson, Senior Fellow, Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems.
WireTough Cylinders: Hydrogen Storage Manufacturing Plan
WireTough Cylinders, LLC, based in Bristol, will develop its project titled “A Plan for Hydrogen Storage Manufacturing Made In and For Southwest Virginia and Beyond.” The project will evaluate the feasibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in Southwest Virginia to produce liner cylinders for WireTough’s patented Type II-S pressure vessels and also Type 1 cylinders ready for market, enabling bulk surface storage of hydrogen for regional production and end use applications. Over a 24-month period, WireTough will analyze storage needs, candidate sites in communities such as Bristol and surrounding counties, capital and workforce requirements, and economic impacts. This project will help position Southwest Virginia as a center of excellence for hydrogen storage technology and high-quality advanced manufacturing jobs.
“WireTough is proud to advance hydrogen storage manufacturing in Bristol and surrounding counties, creating high-paying jobs and establishing Southwest Virginia as a center of excellence for innovative, cost-effective bulk hydrogen vessels made right here at home,” said Richard Moore, Strategy and Business Development, WireTough Cylinders, LLC.
For more information about the Southwest Virginia Hydrogen Hub Planning Grants and program, visit Virginia Energy’s website.