THE 3 T’S OF HYDROGEN: TRASH, TRUCKS, AND TRANSIT

The United States is Already Using Hydrogen’s Three T’s as an Energy Source in Denver, Cleveland, and San Bernardino

Hydrogen may be employed in almost any application imaginable, from engines to power generation. Beyond autos, hydrogen is the future for semi-trucks, light rail trains, shipping, and hydrogen-powered drones. What many customers are unaware of is that the age of hydrogen has here. Cities in the United States, such as Denver, Colorado and Cleveland, Ohio, are beginning to embrace hydrogen as an energy source, following the lead of California, which has the most hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) of any state and one of the world’s largest hydrogen filling station networks. These filling stations support the hydrogen economy’s three T’s: trash, trucks, and transportation, all of which are crucial for the hydrogen economy’s continued development.

Trash

Hydrogen garbage trucks are the next step in assisting communities across America in reducing pollutants. Hydrogen-powered refuse collection vehicles are already on the road in Sweden and Scotland, and are undergoing testing across Europe. The trucks benefit city air and noise quality by being fully silent and providing the operational capabilities of diesel trucks without the emissions. In the Netherlands and Belgium, projects such as Liquidation of Full Emission and Noise by Garbage Truck with Hydrogen (LIFE ‘N Grab HY!) are also showcasing hydrogen electric hybrid trucks.

Trucks

AAA Colorado announced a partnership with Denver-based New Day Hydrogen, LLC to bring America’s first hydrogen-powered tow trucks and other emergency response vehicles to Colorado. As part of the agreement, New Day Hydrogen will develop and construct electrolysis stations, which produce emissions-free hydrogen from water and renewable energy, with the goal of eventually opening those stations to the public.

AAA officials believe that by collaborating with a local business to advance such technology in the state in a way that it is visible to a broader audience — notably those who require AAA roadside help — they may speed the hydrogen trend. The organisations hope to have the hydrogen-fueled tow vehicles on the road by 2022.

In Canton, Ohio, one-fourth of the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority’s fleet of buses is hydrogen-powered. Additionally, two California transit systems, Oakland and Riverside County, operate hydrogen buses, and the Port of Los Angeles launched a hydrogen test in April, when the first of five hydrogen-powered semi-trucks began delivering freight to warehouses in Ontario, California, almost 60 miles distant. The $82.5 million public-private partnership initiative will eventually have a fleet of ten semi-trucks.

Trains

In 2024, San Bernadino, California’s first hydrogen fuel cell train is expected to begin operations. Hydrogen trains, which are already in service in Germany and China, generate their own power onboard by passing hydrogen from a tank and oxygen from the surrounding air via a fuel cell. This electricity powers a motor that drives the wheels and an onboard “appropriately sized” battery pack that buffers the flow of electricity, with the only emission being potable water. On Twitter, these hydrogen electric trains are being referred to as #Hydrail.

The San Bernadino Transit Center will be a multi-modal transportation hub connecting all locations west. When finished, the project will contain the Arrow commuter line, which will be powered by specially developed zero-emission hydrogen electric “fuel cell” trains. These will be the first zero-emission units in North America. The Arrow system is scheduled to open in 2021, while the hydrogen train is scheduled to open in 2024, according to Mass Transit Magazine.

The hydrogen era has arrived, and hydrogen’s role in the three T’s is expected to have a positive disruptive technology impact, as hydrogen-powered transportation is well underway and companies such as EnergyDais are focusing on liquid hydrogen infrastructure solutions for heavy-duty truck and rail applications.