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Welcome new readers of RMP’s quarterly H2 infrastructure report.  Each quarter we look back on the major stories related to hydrogen infrastructure advancements and we compare the current AFDC database to the AFDC database in the prior quarter to see what has changed.  The AFDC database is updated by the US Dept of Energy & can be found by clicking here.  Canada added a new data repository for hydrogen stations in Q2-2020.  The Canadian website is administered by Natural Resources Canada.   RMP will continue to use the US Department of Energy database as our primary data source as we learn more about the Canadian database.  All this data (and more) goes into RMP’s interactive map of hydrogen infrastructure in the USA & Canada you can see by clicking here.  Ok, on with the report…

The big story this quarter was supposed to be Navistar Inc. announcing they plan to bring a fuel cell Class 8 longhaul truck to market in 2024 with prototypes on California roads beginning next year.  This news was made more interesting because the fuel cell stacks would be supplied locally by Detroit based General Motors.  This news became slightly overshadowed, however, when CAFCP updated the planned hydrogen refueling station data for the next round of hydrogen stations from the latest 2020 CEC funding round.  According to the data CAFCP uses to track station progress, almost all of the new planned stations will have a nameplate storage capacity of 1,600kg which is nearly 9x bigger than most of the Continue reading “USA & CANADA QUARTERLY H2 INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE 2021-Q1”

Construction on the 9-mile Arrow corridor almost 90% complete and bridge construction almost 100% complete.  Crews continue working on setting the rail along the corridor; installing signals including cabling at the grade crossings; paving and reconstructing curbs, gutter, and sidewalks; installing perimeter fencing along the corridor where needed; completing the installation of underground utilities and drainage systems; and preparing for train testing.

RMP published a detailed post explaining every aspect of this hydrogen rail project on February 2, 2020 (just over 1 year ago).   You can read that post by clicking here to learn more details about the project.

Sen. Brad Hawkins’ bill to promote hydrogen-powered vehicles has cleared a major hurdle.

The Senate today voted 49-0 to approve Senate Bill 5000, which would establish an eight-year statewide pilot project for the reduction of sales tax on purchases of fuel-cell electric vehicles.

“I’m pleased to see such strong support from my Senate colleagues for this bill,” said Hawkins, who represents the 12^th District. “Our state is still in its infancy regarding electric vehicles, so I think it’s helpful to promote different types of zero-emission vehicles, both battery electrics and fuel-cell electrics. Washington has the potential to be a key producer of renewable hydrogen, so it makes sense to make it easier to purchase hydrogen-fueled vehicles.”

Senate Bill 5000, which has bipartisan support and nearly 30 co-sponsors, now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

Back in 2019, the Legislature approved Hawkins-sponsored Senate Bill 5588, which authorizes public utility districts to produce and sell “renewable hydrogen.”

“The people of North Central Washington have been leaders in clean energy for decades and now we’re in a position to lead the United States on renewable hydrogen use in transportation, including production, distribution, vehicles, transit buses, short haul agriculture, and long haul opportunities. It’s pretty exciting when you think about it, especially knowing my region’s long and proud history of clean energy,” said Hawkins.

Hydrogen can be created from a process that separates the hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. The Douglas County Public Utility District in Hawkins’ district plans to utilize its surplus hydropower to do just that, creating renewable hydrogen from excess renewable hydropower and possibly also building hydrogen fueling stations. The PUD’s hydrogen production facility near East Wenatchee is expected to be completed toward the end of this year.

SB 5000 aims to extend a similar exemption on vehicle sales tax that purchasers of traditional electric vehicles receive. With the first hydrogen-fueling stations in Washington expected to be operational by 2022, the bill would allow a total of 650 vehicles to receive a 50-percent sales tax exemption in fiscal years 2023 through 2029.

Even though hydrogen vehicles are newer to the market and slightly more expensive due to having not been in mass production nationwide, they have shown tremendous promise given how quickly they refuel and the limited infrastructure required to get the fuel to the station.

Hawkins said his bill would help establish important parity between fuel-cell electric vehicles and traditional plug-in electrics.

“In our efforts to promote carbon-free vehicles, our state policies should be ‘technologically neutral’ so that we can give ourselves varied opportunities to reduce emissions and not unintentionally bias ourselves in the process,” Hawkins said. “Similar to diesel and gas, maybe there will always be multiple fuel sources for next-generation cars or maybe someday hydrogen vehicles will be the preferred choice.”

More Info: Renewable hydrogen could play a key role in Washington’s clean-energy future (Sen. Hawkins, Seattle Times, 12/15/20).

Performance verification is nearing completion on new zero-emissions fuel cell-electric terminal tractors, and a first-of a kind pilot project is preparing to launch. For 16 months, GTI and partners have been designing and assembling the tractors in a project called Zero Emissions for California Ports (ZECAP) that will assess vehicle operation in a demanding, real-world cargo-handling application. The hydrogen fueling equipment is in final assembly and slated for installation this spring, along with the delivery of trucks.

A terminal tractor, also called a yard truck, is a heavy-duty tractor designed to quickly couple and uncouple with trailers to move them within a cargo yard. More than 1,800 yard trucks operate at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which is more than half of all cargo-handling equipment (CHE) at these ports. Yard trucks are the single largest source of CHE emissions but are more difficult to convert to zero-emission fuel cells or batteries because of their variable duty cycles and fundamental requirements for power, versatility, and durability.

In the ZECAP program, project partner TraPac will operate two fuel cell electric yard trucks for 12 months. The trucks are Capacity of Texas Trailer Jockey Series TJ9000 gliders configured with BAE Systems electric drive powertrain capable of peak propulsion power of 200kW (270 hp) and Ballard Power Systems FCveloCity®-HD85 85kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The Capacity truck can store 9.1kg of hydrogen at 350 bar and will fill at an onsite Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation (HTEC) hydrogen fueling station with 182kg storage capacity. Other project partners are Frontier Energy and ZEN Clean Energy Solutions. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) funded the project through a grant.

“We designed the project to maximize the time the trucks will be in service,” said Bart Sowa, GTI’s project manager. “TraPac is a 24-hour operation. The fuel cell yard trucks are expected to operate for two shifts and refill in minutes, with minimum disruption to TraPac’s operation. We’ll collect and analyze real-time operating data to evaluate safety, reliability, efficiency, and ability to meet operational requirements.”

This project is a step toward achieving the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles goal of using 100% zero emission cargo handling equipment by 2030.

The $11M project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.

• Hyzon Motors chooses Chicago Area as Location for High-Volume Fuel Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) Production Line
• Hyzon’s Fuel Cell Features Proprietary MEA Technology at its Core
• New Facility Expected to Substantially Reduce Costs for Fuel Cell Trucks Manufactured in the US, Eliminating a Key Bottleneck
• Facility’s Production of MEAs Expected to Boost Delivery Capacity of Hyzon Zero-Emission Trucks to as many as 12,000 Vehicles Annually, with Ability to Scale Further

March 1, 2021, Rochester, NY: Hyzon Motors Inc. (“Hyzon” or the “Company”), a leading supplier of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell powered heavy vehicles, today announced plans to build the largest fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) production line for commercial vehicles in the United States at its new Hyzon Innovation Center located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

As announced previously, Hyzon plans to go public through a merger with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ: DCRB, DCRBW, DCRBU), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The combination is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021.

The MEA is the critical component of a fuel cell and accounts for about 70% of the cost of a fuel cell stack. MEAs are currently produced in Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea and China at commercial scale. Smaller scale MEA production in the United States has so far been a supply and cost bottleneck for US fuel cell vehicle production.

At full capacity, the Hyzon Innovation Center is expected to produce enough MEAs to cover the production needs for up to 12,000 hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks every year. The facility is expected to commence production of MEAs in the fourth quarter of 2021, and is planned to open with 28,000 square feet of manufacturing space, before expanding in a second phase to 80,000 square feet. Hyzon expects to eventually fill up to 50 full-time positions at this production facility.

George Gu, Chairman and Co-Founder of Hyzon, said, “The new Hyzon Innovation Center is essential to our strategy to expand the US hydrogen supply chain, reduce fuel cell costs for commercialization, and create local jobs. We chose the greater Chicago area due to its top-tier universities, national labs, equipment companies and manufacturers, and a large pool of talent for recruiting a highly-skilled workforce. We are looking forward to empowering this unique ecosystem so that we can further accelerate the energy transition and decarbonize heavy road transport.”

Craig Knight, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Hyzon, said, “We are excited about our plans to open the first high-volume MEA production line for hydrogen fuel cells in the US, which we anticipate will enable us to rapidly scale up the production of our fuel cells and deliver up to 12,000 Hyzon zero-emission heavy vehicles each year. We see a substantial uptake in Europe already, and anticipate North America will soon follow suit on this decarbonization journey for heavy transport.”

The Hyzon Innovation Center will also conduct research and development on materials for fuel cells, electrolyzers, solid-state batteries, advanced e-drive systems, autonomous driving technologies and green hydrogen production technologies.

In addition to the Hyzon Innovation Center outside Chicago, Hyzon has two facilities in Rochester, New York – one serving as a fuel cell testing facility and the other as its US headquarters, fuel cell engine production facility, and vehicle integration center. The Company currently produces commercial vehicles at its facility in Groningen, The Netherlands, through a joint venture with Holthausen Clean Technology B.V.

Faurecia, one of the world’s leading automotive technology companies, announced today that it has acquired a majority of CLD, one of China’s largest high-pressure tank manufacturers. The transaction will be completed once regulatory approvals are obtained in China.

Faurecia and CLD will develop and manufacture homologated type III and IV hydrogen storage tanks for the Chinese market. Headquartered in ShenYang, CLD has around 200 employees and 2 plants in Liaoning with a capacity of 30,000 tanks per year. The company is already an established and recognized player providing homologated hydrogen tanks to leading Asian commercial and light vehicle automakers.

Mathias Miedreich, Faurecia Clean Mobility EVP said. “CLD is the right partner for Faurecia to accelerate hydrogen mobility in China. By 2030, China will represent a market of at least one million fuel cell vehicles. Through our complementary technologies and industrial expertise, we will further develop CLD’s leadership.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Faurecia, one of the global leading technology companies, through its investment in CLD equity. We believe that by joining the strengths of both parties, Faurecia_CLD will become one of the major fuel cell tank manufacturers in China.” added Mrs Jiang Jiang, Chairman of CLD.

As hydrogen mobility rapidly gains momentum, the Group is now uniquely positioned to develop hydrogen storage systems and distribution services and as well as fuel cell systems (through Symbio, a joint venture with Michelin). This scope represents 75% of the full system value chain. By 2030, Faurecia forecasts the annual hydrogen vehicle production to be two and half million vehicles. Faurecia is committed to continue to invest significantly with the ambition to become a world leader in hydrogen mobility.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is initiating an ambitious innovation effort to create American jobs while tackling the climate crisis, which includes the launch of a new research working group, an outline of the Administration’s innovation agenda, and a new $100 million funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy to support transformational low-carbon energy technologies. The announcements kickstart the Administration’s undertaking to spur the creation of new jobs, technology, and tools that empower the United States to innovate and lead the world in addressing the climate crisis.

President Biden is fulfilling his promise to accelerate R&D investments, creating a new Climate Innovation Working Group as part of the National Climate Task Force to advance his commitment to launching an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Climate (ARPA-C). The working group will help coordinate and strengthen federal government-wide efforts to foster affordable, game-changing technologies that can help America achieve the President’s goal of net zero economy-wide emissions by 2050 and can protect the American people from the impacts of droughts and flooding, bigger wildfires, and stronger hurricanes. The working group will be co-chaired by the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, Office of Science of Technology and Policy, and Office of Management and Budget.

“We are tapping into the imagination, talent, and grit of America’s innovators, scientists, and workers to spearhead a national effort that empowers the United States to lead the world in tackling the climate crisis,” said Gina McCarthy, President Biden’s National Climate Advisor. “At the same time, we are positioning America to create good-paying, union jobs in a just and equitable way in communities across the nation that will be at the forefront of new manufacturing for clean energy and new technology, tools, and infrastructure that will help us adapt to a changing climate.”

As the opportunity for American leadership in climate innovation is vast, the Administration is outlining key planks of an agenda the Climate Innovation Working Group will help advance:

• zero net carbon buildings at zero net cost, including carbon-neutral construction materials;
• energy storage at one-tenth the cost of today’s alternatives;
• advanced energy system management tools to plan for and operate a grid powered by zero carbon power plants;
• very low-cost zero carbon on-road vehicles and transit systems;
• new, sustainable fuels for aircraft and ships, as well as improvements in broader aircraft and ship efficiency and transportation management;
• affordable refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps made without refrigerants that warm the planet;
• carbon-free heat and industrial processes that capture emissions for making steel, concrete, chemicals, and other important industrial products;
• carbon-free hydrogen at a lower cost than hydrogen made from polluting alternatives;
• innovative soil management, plant biologies, and agricultural techniques to remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ground;
• direct air capture systems and retrofits to existing industrial and power plant exhausts to capture carbon dioxide and use it to make alternative products or permanently sequester it deep underground.

As a first example of the widespread innovation effort, the U.S. Department of Energy is announcing $100 million in funding via the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to support transformational low-carbon energy technologies. The ARPA-E announcement invites experts across the country to submit proposals for funding to support early-stage research into potentially disruptive energy technologies, specifically encouraging inter-disciplinary approaches and collaboration across sectors.

“Today we are inviting scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers across America to join us in developing the clean energy technologies we need to tackle the climate crisis and build a new more equitable clean energy economy,” said DOE Chief of Staff Tarak Shah. “The Department of Energy is committed to empowering innovators to think boldly and create the cutting-edge technologies that will usher in our clean energy future and create millions of good-paying jobs.”

In addition to supporting technologies that are near commercialization, the Climate Innovation Working Group will also emphasize research to bolster and build critical clean energy supply chains in the United States and strengthen American manufacturing. As it coordinates climate innovation across the federal government, it will focus on programs at land-grant universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions.

“Today is an important day for tackling the climate crisis through cutting-edge science, technology, and innovation. The Office of Science and Technology Policy is ready to help turbocharge climate-related innovation, and we look forward to engaging with scientists, engineers, students, and innovators all across America to build a future in which not only jobs and economic benefits but also opportunities to participate in climate innovation are shared equitably by all Americans,” said Kei Koizumi, Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Sen. Brad Hawkins’ proposal to promote hydrogen-powered vehicles, the first Senate bill of the 2021 legislative session, is now also among the first measures to be approved by a Senate committee.

The Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee on Thursday approved Senate Bill 5000, which would establish an eight-year statewide pilot project for the reduction of sales tax on purchases of fuel-cell electric vehicles.

“I’m pleased that the committee passed this bill so early,” said Hawkins, who serves the 12th Legislative District. “The bill received a positive response during its public hearing, and I’m hopeful it will continue moving forward this session. The bill is off to a terrific start but still has a ways to go in the weeks ahead.”

Senate Bill 5000, which has bipartisan support and nearly 30 co-sponsors, has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.

Back in 2019, the Legislature approved Hawkins-sponsored Senate Bill 5588, which authorizes public utility districts to produce and sell “renewable hydrogen.”

“The people of North Central Washington have been leaders in clean energy for decades and new state efforts to promote renewable hydrogen and zero-emissions vehicles will help us continue our innovative work,” said Hawkins. He added, “North Central Washington is in a real position to lead the state and perhaps the entire United States on renewable hydrogen use in transportation, from production, distribution, vehicles, buses, short haul agriculture, and other opportunities locally. It’s pretty exciting when you think big about it. Our region has a long and proud history of thinking big about clean energy.”

Hydrogen can be created from a process that separates the hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. The Douglas County Public Utility District in Hawkins’ district plans to utilize its surplus hydropower to do just that, creating renewable hydrogen from excess renewable hydropower and possibly also building hydrogen fueling stations.

SB 5000 aims to extend a similar exemption on vehicle sales tax that purchasers of traditional electric vehicles receive. With the first hydrogen-fueling stations in Washington expected to be operational by 2022, the bill would allow a total of 650 vehicles to receive a 50-percent sales tax exemption in fiscal years 2023 through 2029.

Even though hydrogen vehicles are newer to the market and slightly more expensive due to having not been in mass production nationwide, they have shown tremendous promise given how quickly they refuel and the limited infrastructure required to get the fuel to the station.

Hawkins said his bill would help establish important parity between fuel-cell electric vehicles and traditional plug-in electrics.

“In our efforts to promote carbon-free vehicles, our state policies should be ‘technologically neutral’ so that we can give ourselves varied opportunities to reduce emissions and not unintentionally bias ourselves in the process,” Hawkins said. “Similar to diesel and gas, maybe there will always be multiple fuel sources for next-generation cars or maybe someday hydrogen vehicles will be the preferred choice.”

What the bill’s supporters are saying:

“We are thankful for Senator Hawkins’ leadership for renewable hydrogen. His support has created an opportunity for us to increase efficiencies at our Wells Hydroelectric Project and increase value for our customers.” – Molly Simpson, Douglas County PUD Commission President

 “The Renewable Hydrogen Alliance is proud to support the expansion of clean vehicle incentives to fuel cell electric cars just as Washington begins creating clean hydrogen from the state’s ample supply of renewable electricity.” – Ken Dragoon, Executive Director of the Renewable Hydrogen Alliance

“Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be critical to the future of a decarbonized transportation sector. This bill is a meaningful step to ensuring the state incentivizes a portfolio approach to electrifying Washington’s transportation sector. WSHA could not be more pleased to support Senator Hawkins in this effort.” – Roxana Bekemohammadi, Executive Director of the Western States Hydrogen Alliance

“Senator Hawkins’ pilot incentive program is an important first step to help accelerate the adoption of hydrogen, fuel cell and electrification accessibility in Washington state. Paving the way for emissions-free technologies will further generate awareness, interest and acceptance in communities seeking cleaner options.” – Doug Murtha, Group Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Toyota Motor North America 

“As we work to reduce transportation emissions in Washington state, incentivizing clean energy through an increased use of hydrogen could play a significant role toward accomplishing our climate goals. I look forward to working across the aisle with Senator Hawkins on this policy, and to continue protecting our state’s incredible natural environment.” – Sen. Liz Lovelett, 40^th District, D-Anacortes, Lead Co-Sponsor

Here are links to news stories or other helpful information about this bill:

• Renewable hydrogen could play a key role in Washington’s clean energy future (Seattle Times Dec. 2020)
• December 29, 2020: NCW continues to lead on clean energy
• Senate Transportation Committee Work Session 1/14/21 – WSDOT Secretary comments on hydrogen (approx. 46 minutes in)
• Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee Hearing SB 5000 (TVW Jan 13, 2021)

source:  Washington State District 12 Senator Brad Hawkins webpage