In the realm of heavy-duty trucking, hydrogen is at the forefront right now because of its viability as an alternative to diesel. The Isuzu Giga Fuel Cell which made an appearance at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show captured the minds of attendees because of its capability to produce power and provide impressive driving range without any carbon emissions. Of course, in order to introduce fuel cell trucks into roads, it has to have the necessary infrastructure to keep them running. First Element Fuel (FEF), a company based in the US is slowly building its network of hydrogen fueling stations to accommodate these vehicles.
The latest hydrogen station in this network is also the largest in the world. This expansion further bolsters its True Zero hydrogen network, bringing the total number of fully public, retail locations to 41. Located in Oakland, California, the innovative hydrogen station, designed by FEF, is equipped with four dispensers that can concurrently deliver H70 standard fills, with a remarkable capacity of 1600 kilograms per day. To put this into perspective, it can refuel up to 450 hydrogen-powered cars daily, solidifying its status as the highest-performing retail hydrogen station globally. This Oakland station marks the ninth installation of a high-output station operated by FEF.
"The world faces many challenges today, but we are staying focused and disciplined about achieving our mission to accelerate access to hydrogen refueling. And that's because hydrogen-fueled transportation will ultimately play a huge role in fighting against the single biggest challenge the world faces, Global Warming."
FEF is currently initiating two pivotal projects in California. First, it is commissioning a multi-use heavy-duty truck hydrogen station in proximity to the Port of Oakland. Simultaneously, it is breaking ground on a new retail hydrogen station in Redwood City, California.
Upon completion, the Oakland multi-use station will claim the title of the world's largest heavy-duty hydrogen refueling truck station. It will be equipped to serve a wide spectrum of hydrogen-powered vehicles, including heavy-duty, medium-duty, and light-duty vehicles. The rise of more hydrogen refueling stations could mean a faster adoption of hydrogen trucks like the Giga Fuel Cell in the near future. On a positive note, once larger countries like the US adopt hydrogen fuel for their freight haulers, these trucks, or at least their tech, could trickle down to countries like the Philippines.
