
About MI Hydrogen
Hydrogen is an important energy carrier that can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and aviation, heating and distributed power, and industrial applications like steelmaking, glassmaking and semiconductor manufacturing.
There is growing interest around wider adoption of hydrogen and its potential economic and environmental benefits, and so the University of Michigan has launched a new initiative to support and catalyze multidisciplinary research involving the universe’s lightest and most abundant element.
MI Hydrogen, a joint venture by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Michigan Engineering and the School for Environment and Sustainability, will foster collaboration among U-M researchers, community groups, government and industry partners so they can address existing knowledge gaps and develop strategies to help society transition toward an energy future that is equitable, affordable, clean and secure. The initiative, which will engage faculty across disciplines, is designed to provide the leading research necessary to accelerate the use of hydrogen beyond current industrial limits.
MI Hydrogen is part of the newly launched Institute for Energy Solutions, which is supported by Michigan Engineering and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Professors Todd Allen and Greg Keoleian, who have extensive research experience in fields ranging from nuclear engineering to sustainable systems, will serve as co-directors for MI Hydrogen.

Todd Allen

Greg Keoleian
Allen and Keoleian recently convened a series of visioning sessions with faculty engaged in the hydrogen space to solicit feedback regarding ways in which U-M can help accelerate clean and just energy transitions. The initiative builds upon the Hydrogen Roadmap for the State of Michigan Workshop hosted last spring at U-M, which brought together stakeholders from academia, industry and government, and led to a report published by the Center for Sustainable Systems, a lead collaborator of MI Hydrogen.
Based on community input around the proposed design and direction for the initiative, MI Hydrogen will launch with a set of new research projects focused on transportation and industrial applications. Hydrogen is primarily used nowadays in the chemical and petroleum refining industries.
Teams also will analyze the potential statewide demand for hydrogen, and develop a framework for hydrogen ecosystem planning and implementation. A majority of hydrogen production in the United States and abroad is generated from steam methane reforming of natural gas, which is problematic from a climate change perspective.
The potential for hydrogen to serve as a clean, economical energy carrier has generated increased momentum federally, highlighted by a recent commitment from the Department of Energy to invest $7 billion toward the creation of six to 10 regional hubs designed to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen across the U.S.

MI Hydrogen will launch with a set of new research projects focused on transportation and industrial applications. Teams also will analyze the potential statewide demand for hydrogen, and develop a framework for hydrogen ecosystem planning and implementation.
U-M Hydrogen Expertise

Alauddin Ahmed
Mechanical Engineering

Todd Allen
Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences

Andre Boehman
Mechanical Engineering

Rohini Bala Chandran
Mechanical Engineering

Matthew Collette
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Daniel Cooper
Mechanical Engineering

Michael Craig
School for Environment and Sustainability; Industrial and Operations Engineering

Royan D'Mello
Aerospace Engineering

Tulga Ersal
Mechanical Engineering

Mirko Gamba
Mechanical Engineering

Vikram Gavini
Mechanical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering

Gabby Hoelzle
Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

Brendan Kochunas
Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

Greg Keoleian
Center for Sustainable Systems; School for Environment and Sustainability

Geoffrey Lewis
Center for Sustainable Systems; School for Environment and Sustainability

Tom Lyon
Ross School of Business; School for Environment and Sustainability

Joaquim R.R.A. Martins
Aerospace Engineering

Adam Matzger
Chemistry; Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Thomas McKenney
Engineering Practice and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Zetian Mi
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Moore
School for Environment and Sustainability

Josh Newell
School for Environment and Sustainability

Eranda Nikolla
Chemical Engineering

Jason Siegel
Mechanical Engineering

Nirala Signh
Chemical Engineering

Sara Soderstrom
Organizational Studies

Anna Stefanopoulou
Mechanical Engineering

Xiaodong Sun
Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

Sita Syal
Mechanical Engineering

Parth Vaishnav
School for Environment and Sustainability

Aditi Verma
Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences

Timothy Wallington
Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering

Margaret Wooldridge
Mechanical Engineering
News
Upcoming Events


Hydrogen Grand Challenge
First Competition: Michigan Hydrogen Horizon
The Hydrogen Grand Challenge is a series of prize competitions organized by MI Hydrogen to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy carrier, particularly in areas such as transportation and industrial applications, in order to facilitate an equitable, affordable, clean, and secure energy transition.
The first competition, Michigan Hydrogen Horizon, asks University of Michigan students to develop a business case for a Michigan-centered, regional deployment of hydrogen. The business case should demonstrate where clean hydrogen can add value to specific sectors and technology applications.


Michigan’s Clean Hydrogen Future
December 1, 2023
Noon – 1 p.m.
RUTHVEN-4140
https://myumi.ch/73DrQ
Recent federal investments in hydrogen are intended to significantly accelerate timelines for the deployment of hydrogen technologies. States, in response, are working to align with stakeholders, establish individual strategies, and determine what this rapidly developing industry means for their residents and economies. Michigan, as a selectee for a Regional Clean Hydrogen hub, a leading member of the 7-state Midwest Hydrogen Coalition, and having recently secured significant investments from leading companies in the hydrogen supply chain, is well positioned to be a leader in the development of a national hydrogen economy. In this session, representatives from the Michigan Infrastructure Office will discuss the broad vision for hydrogen in Michigan, key projects and investments underway, and the challenges and opportunities facing the Great Lakes State.
Zachary Kolodin serves as Chief Infrastructure Officer and Director of the Michigan Infrastructure Office. He previously served as Governor Whitmer’s Public Policy Counsel. Before joining the Executive Office, he was an associate at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP and served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman. Kolodin also worked in the Office of Grants Policy and Operations at Americorps, and as a program administrator at the Roosevelt Institute, a New York City-based think tank. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and New York University School of Law.
Kevin Mehren serves as the Deputy Infrastructure Officer for Clean Energy and the Environment within the Michigan Infrastructure Office. Prior to joining the office, Kevin held the role of Program Director with the Washington, D.C. based OurEnergyPolicy Foundation, which provides resources to support the creation of substantive and responsible energy policies. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.
Past Events
MI Hydrogen Seminar Series: The Role of Hydrogen in Sustainable Transportation - 11/3/2023
Tim Wallington, Research Specialist, Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan
Matt Collette, Professor, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan
Joaquim R. R. A. Martins, Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
Abstract: Hydrogen produced by electrolysis using low-carbon electricity is widely viewed as an important future energy carrier in a decarbonized economy. There is strong federal policy support for increased hydrogen use. Hydrogen can be used directly or indirectly (via the production of e-fuels) in road, rail, air, and water transportation. In this seminar we will discuss the critical factors which will determine the future role of hydrogen in sustainable transportation.
Tim Wallington is a Research Specialist in the Center for Sustainable Systems and an Adjunct Professor in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Tim has BA, MA, DPhil and DSc degrees from the University of Oxford, an MBA from the University of Michigan, and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Copenhagen University. His research
focus is transportation sustainability (vehicle energy use and emissions, air quality and climate change impacts, vehicle and fuel technoeconomic analyses and lifecycle assessments, material availability and flows, alternative fuels, social sustainability). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors and the EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee.
Dr. Collette joined the University of Michigan in 2009, founding the Marine Structures Design Lab in the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. His team focuses on two major themes: how to construct human-machine systems to sense, understand, and reason about vessels’ current health and capabilities and how to use numerical approaches to increase human understanding of design problems. His group focuses on structural systems, autonomous decision-making, and decarbonization's impact on ship design. He is the SNAME Functional Vice President for Education and past Chair of the International Ship Structures Congress Committee IV.1 on Design Principles and Criteria. He is a 1999 graduate of the Webb Institute with a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and received his Ph.D. in Marine Technology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2005.
Joaquim R. R. A. Martins is the Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he heads the Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Laboratory. His research group develops MDO methods and applies them to the design of aircraft and other engineering systems. He is a co-author of "Engineering Design Optimization", a textbook published by Cambridge University Press. Prof. Martins is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Before joining the University of Michigan faculty in 2009, he was an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. From 2002, he held a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Multidisciplinary Optimization. He received his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College, London, with a British Aerospace Award. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University, where he was awarded the Ballhaus prize for best thesis in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has received the Best Paper Award at AIAA Conferences five times. He has served as Associate Editor for the AIAA Journal, Optimization and Engineering, and Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization. He is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Aircraft.
An Introduction to Hydrogen: From Production to End Uses - 10/10/2023
Engineer/Analyst III
Low-Carbon Resources Initiative
Program Manager
Low-Carbon Resources Initiative
The Role of Hydrogen in Decarbonizing U.S. Industry - 10/6/2023
Value Propositions for Hydrogen - 9/8/2023
Ugi Otgonbaatar is Director, Technology Strategy, Grants & Partnerships, Constellation
The U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan - 3/31/2023
Alex Maranville is a Research Associate at the Energy Futures Initiative.
Supporting Sustainable Energy Decarbonization through Hydrogen - 3/17/2023
Dr. Vivek Sujan is a Distinguished Research Staff in the National Transportation Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Supporting Transportation and Industry with Nuclear Energy with Richard Boardman - 3/10/2023
Dr. Richard Boardman is the Laboratory Relationship Manager in the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology office at Idaho National Laboratory
Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft: Fundamental Concepts, Key Technologies, and Environmental Impacts with Joaquim R.R.A. Martins - 2/10/2023
Dr. Joaquim Martins is the Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan
Opportunities and Challenges for Hydrogen to Decarbonize Energy Sectors with Amgad Elgowainy, Ph.D. - 2/3/2023
Dr. Amgad Elgowainy is a senior scientist and distinguished fellow at Argonne National Laboratory
DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap with Marc Melaina, Ph.D. - 1/20/2023
Marc W. Melaina, Ph.D.
Senior Analyst
U.S. Department of Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
Boston Government Services (contractor)
Note: Dr. Melaina is one of the primary authors of the DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap report.
Hydrogen Safety and Reliability for Sustainable Mobility with Dr. Fatemeh Salehi - 1/5/2023
Dr. Fatemeh Salehi is an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Australia.
Partnerships & Connections





