The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is pleased to welcome our newest Tier 3 member: Taylor-Wharton. Taylor-Wharton produces a comprehensive range of cryogenic equipment for storage, transportation and regasification purpose catering to all aspects of the cold chain supply for Industrial Gas, Hydrogen, and LNG applications. Their products are used across many sectors, including fuel cell, trucking, marine, mine haul, liquefaction, oil and gas, and much more.

Click here to visit Taylor-Wharton's homepage.

On December 9, FCHEA member Toyota officially launched the completely redesigned Mirai fuel cell vehicle. The new vehicle can hold up to 5.6 kilograms of hydrogen, approximately a 20 percent increase from the previous model. In addition, according to Toyota, the fuel efficiency has increased approximately 10 percent. Toyota states that the improvements have increased the vehicle's cruising range to 850 km (~528 miles).

On November 18, FCHEA member Nuvera Fuel Cells announced the commercial availability of the Nuvera E-60 Fuel Cell Engine. The new engine is based on the previously-announced E-45. The E-60 is built for electric powertrains for material handling equipment, buses, trucks, and other on- and off-road vehicles. The engine provides 59 kilowatts (kW) in net output power and includes a fully integrated compressor and control logic for optimized operation.

On December 11, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a partnership with FCHEA member Bloom Energy to deploy the first indoor Bloom fuel cell system at One World Trade Center. According to the Port Authority, the installation will eliminate over 1,140 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The installation is a part of of the Port Authority's commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Click here for the full press release from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

On November 30, FCHEA member Plug Power announced it is collaborating with French engineering company Gaussin to develop fuel cell-powered logistics vehicles, including terminal tractors and automated guided vehicles. The vehicles will be powered with Plug Power ProGen fuel cells with the goal of market introduction in 2021.

On November 19, FCHEA member Black and Veatch announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Golar, a natural gas shipping operator, to focus on the production of renewable and carbon capture-equipped hydrogen and ammonia. The two companies see the fuels as a way to lead decarbonization.

Click here for the full press release from Black and Veatch.

On December 10, FCHEA member Hyundai announced "HTWO", a new brand to represent the company's fuel cell system. HTWO represents hydrogen and humanity, the two main pillars of Hyundai's fuel cell business. The new brand will facilitate Hyundai's global fuel cell business and promote hydrogen worldwide.

On November 24, FCHEA member Nel Hydrogen announced it was partnering with Tenaris, a pipeline infrastructure company, to establish a hydrogen refueling network for trucks in California. The "Shore to Store" project will install high pressure hydrogen storage solutions in Long Beach, California, and a large capacity heavy-duty hydrogen station near the Port of Los Angeles in Wilmington and in the warehouse center of Ontario.

Click here for the full press release from Tenaris.

On December 15, FCHEA member Nuvera Fuel Cells announced its fuel cell technology will be used in a partnership between Hyster-Yale Group and Capacity Trucks to develop hydrogen-powered terminal tractors for use at ports. The partners are targeting 2021 to deploy initial terminal tractor prototypes for market testing.

Click here for the full press release from Nuvera.

On December 21, FCHEA member Hexagon announced it has delivered hydrogen storage cylinders to be used in a fuel cell snow groomer. Developed by PRINOTH, a snow groomer and tracked utility service manufacturer, the LEITWOLF h₂MOTION uses Hexagon cylinders storing hydrogen at 700 bar. The cylinders were delivered earlier in 2020 and the concept model was presented to market in December. According to Hexagon, this is the first snow-groomer to be powered by hydrogen.

On December 16, FCHEA member PowerCell Sweden received an order for two MS-100 fuel cell systems from a global American agriculture equipment manufacturer to test the electrification of tractors. The systems will be delivered during the remainder of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.

Click here for the full press release from PowerCell Sweden.

On December 10, FCHEA member W.L. Gore & Associates announced the GORE-SELECT Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) has been selected to be incorporated into the new model of the Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle. According to Gore, the GORE-SELECT Membrane has improved performance, mechanical durability, and is 30 percent thinner than the previous version.

Click here for the full press release from Gore.

On November 24, Plug Power reiterated its plans to expand the nation-wide renewable hydrogen network by building five regional renewable hydrogen facilities in the United States. The first two plants are expected to be operational in 2022, with all five coming online by 2024. Plug Power is working with strategic partners Apex Clean Energy and Brookfield Renewable to realize their vision.

Click here for the full press release from Plug Power.

On December 10, Toyota announced the first two Class 8 heavy-duty fuel cell trucks will be delivered to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach later in December. The trucks are built under the Zero and Near Zero Freight Forwarding (ZANZEFF) project sponsored by the state of California.

Toyota Logistics Services and Southern Counties Express will each receive a Kenworth T680 Class 8 heavy-duty truck powered by Toyota's fuel cell drivetrain. The trucks will be used for drayage operations at the ports. Eight additional trucks will be delivered in 2021 as part of the ZANZEFF program. Three trucks will go to United Parcel Service, two to Total Transportation Services, and Toyota Logistics will receive another three trucks.

The trucks use the same fuel cell technology as Toyota's newest Mirai fuel cell vehicle model, and have six hydrogen tanks. According to Toyota, this system can deliver a range of 300 miles at a full weight of 80,000 lbs.

On December 15, Plug Power announced it is supplying Walmart with sustainable solutions for the retail company's eCommerce online retail services network. Walmart, a Plug customer since 2010, already has over 9,500 GenDrive fuel cell-powered vehicles across 37 distribution centers in North America. Walmart's new hydrogen and fuel cell expansion began in August 2020 with additional expansion planned for 2021.

Click here for the full press release from Plug Power.

On December 14, Bloom Energy announced the launch of the University of Illinois' Shield T3 COVID-19 facility in partnership with El Camino Health. The mobile testing facility and laboratory is powered by Bloom Energy and is located at Bloom's manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale, California. The testing requires a deposit of saliva instead of nasal swabs, allowing the tests to take only minutes to administer and an aim to deliver results within six hours.

Click here for the full press release from Bloom Energy.

On November 18, Nel Hydrogen announced it has received a $2.7 million purchase order for a 1.5 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer from a large, U.S.-based industrial company. The electrolyzer will be installed in 2021.

Click here for the full press release from Nel.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has announced project recipients of the Coal FIRST Initiative, investing a total of $80 million into hydrogen plants and other forms of net-zero carbon electricity. Amongst four projects selected, the Electric Power Research Institute was funded to develop a system for a coal and biomass gasification system to produce high-purity hydrogen. The plant will be hosted by FCHEA member Nebraska Public Power District. According to DOE FE, there are several designs capable of producing 50 megawatts (MW) net from a generator, over 8,500 kilograms of hydrogen per hour.

Click here for the full press release from DOE FE.

On December 22, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy announced 29 projects to receive nearly $7.6 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development (R&D); 16 of the projects focus on hydrogen and ammonia for energy storage and a way to decarbonize the industrial and power sectors. Around half of the hydrogen projects aim to store hydrogen in subsurface salt caverns, and the other half focuses on large capacity, above-ground hydrogen storage to be integrated with a fossil asset.

Click here for more information from DOE.

On December 9, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced a plan to invest up to $115 million to increase the number of hydrogen fueling stations across the state. The funding nearly doubles the states investments to date and works towards California's goals of deploying 200 public hydrogen stations. Under the new plan, up to 111 hydrogen stations will be built by 2027. Total project funding is subject to annual approval of both the state budget and allocations from the CEC.

During the business meeting, CEC funded FirstElement Fuel $15.5 million, Equilon Enterprises (as Shell Oil) $7.3 million, and Iwatani Corporation $1.9 million for the installation of the first 30 hydrogen stations. FirstElement Fuel received an additional $5 million from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust.

Click here for the full press release from the Transportation and Climate Initiative.

On November 24, a coalition of manufacturers, technology, and infrastructure providers signed a statement committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the European transport and logistics sectors by 90 percent by 2050 by adopting the use of fuel cell trucks.

The coalition includes FCHEA members Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, BMW, and many other companies, spanning original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), fuel cell and hydrogen technology providers, refueling infrastructure and hydrogen providers, truck operators, road freight services users and related industry associations.

Click here for the full press release from HYZON Motors.

On December 14, FCHEA member Air Liquide Engineering & Construction signed an agreement with Doosan Heavy Industries to support the construction of a liquid hydrogen production plant in Changwon, South Korea, to service hydrogen refueling stations across the country. Under the agreement, Air Liquide will provide engineering and procurement of the Hydrogen Liquifier section of the plant. The plant will have the capacity to produce 5 tons of liquid hydrogen per day and is planned to begin production in early 2023.

Click here for the full press release from Air Liquide Engineering & Construction.

On November 18, Bloom Energy and SK Engineering and Construction announced they won a Request for Proposal under the Korean RE100 renewable energy initiative to provide 1.8 megawatts (MW) of hydrogen-powered solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to an industrial complex in Changwon, South Korea.

The fuel cells will undergo multi-stage deployment from late 2021 into 2022. The complete system will also include onsite solar power and battery storage along with solid oxide electrolyzer cells to produce renewable hydrogen.

Click here for the full press release from Bloom Energy.

On November 18, Enbridge Gas, a Canadian natural gas distribution company, announced it was working with FCHEA member Cummins on a $5.2 million pilot project to blend renewable hydrogen into a portion of the local natural gas network in Markham, Ontario. The project is supported by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (STDC) and will begin in 2021.

Click here for the full press release from Enbridge.

On November 13, BayoTech signed a hydrogen supply agreement with HYZON Motors Inc, a fuel cell mobility and clean energy company, to support hydrogen fueling infrastructure for HYZON's customers. Under the agreement BayoTech will provide steam methane reformers to HYZON and the two companies will target broad output of high capacity of hydrogen refueling stations.

Click here for the full press release from BayoTech.

On November 18, Nel Hydrogen signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iberdrola, a Spanish electric utility, to collaborate on the development of a renewable hydrogen production plant in Spain. The plant will have a capacity of more than 200 megawatts (MW) and is expected by 2023. The partners will also jointly develop a renewable hydrogen technology chain in Spain.

Click here for the full press release from Nel.

On December 8, Toyota and Hino Motors announced a joint agreement with Seven-Eleven Japan, FamilyMart, and Lawson, to consider introducing light-duty fuel cell trucks into their supply-chain. In 2021, the companies will conduct trials of light-duty fuel cell trucks developed by Toyota.

On November 13, Cummins announced that it has closed on a previously-announced NPROXX joint venture with ETC, an engineering venture. The venture will provide hydrogen products for on-highway and rail applications, such as NPROXX's type 4 hydrogen pressure vessels. Cummins and ETC will each own 50 percent of the new joint venture.

Click here for the full press release from Cummins.

On December 15, FCHEA member Chart Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation (HTEC), expanding Chart's access to new customers and regions in Canada and acquiring a 15 percent stake in the company. Chart now has further access to HTEC customers such as Shell, 7 Eleven, Toyota, and Hyundai.

Click here for the full article from H2 View.

On November 23, Hyundai and INEOS, a petrochemical manufacturer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to accelerate the global renewable hydrogen economy. The partners will seek opportunities for the production and supply of hydrogen and the deployment of hydrogen applications and technologies. Under the agreement, INEOS will evaluate using Hyundai's fuel cell propulsion system in the recently announced INEOS Genadier 4x4 vehicle.

On November 25, Nel ASA entered into an MOU with Everfuel A/S that includes Everfuel taking a majority stake in H2 Fuel Norway AS, a fully owned company of Nel. The new company will be called Everfuel Norway Retail AS and will focus on developing hydrogen fueling stations in Norway.

Click here for the full press release from Nel.

On December 18, PowerCell Sweden received an order for a MS-100 fuel cell system from Australian renewable energy company ENGV to be used in a stationary hydrogen power demonstration project in Denham, Western Australia. The fuel cell will be delivered in the first quarter of 2021. According to PowerCell, this will be Australia's first hydrogen stationary power project.

The project, developed by Horizon Power, will develop a hybrid solar and hydrogen power system to test hydrogen as a dispatchable power source in remote microgrids. The plant will feature a 348 kilowatt (kW) electrolyzer and 704 kW solar farm for the production of hydrogen, to be used in the 100 kW MS-100 fuel cell. The project has been funded by both the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Western Australian Government.

Click here for the full press release from PowerCell Sweden.

On November 30, PowerCell Sweden announced it has received an order for two feasibility studies from Inabata & Co., Ltd, PowerCell's Japanese distributor. The studies are within the off-road segment of Inabata, and they aim to provide specifications for fuel cell solutions for two Japanese off-road mobility manufacturers. The solutions will utilize fuel cell systems with a power output rating ranging from 30 kilowatts (kW) up to the megawatt (MW) range. The studies are expected to take place in the final quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021.

Click here for the full press release from PowerCell Sweden AB.

On December 9, Nuvera Fuel Cells' new E-60 heavy-duty fuel cell engine received certification from the Shanghai Motor Vehicle Inspection Center. The certification provides third-party validation of the engine's performance and qualifications, and allows it to be used in motor vehicles in China.

Click here for the full press release from Nuvera.

On December 22, PowerCell announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Statkraft, a Norwegian energy company, to cooperate on energy solutions based on hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Under the MoU, the partners will examine opportunities for mobile power solutions, peak shaving and smart grids, and stationary power generation for harbors, data centers, and isolated areas.

Click here for the full press release from PowerCell.

On December 11, Nel Hydrogen announced it has been awarded International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) certification for its 700 bar (~10152.6 psi) hydrogen dispenser system. OIML is an intergovernmental organization that provides recommendations for certification. According to Nel, this is the first OIML R 139 certification for such a system, which describes how to build a hydrogen mass measurement system for hydrogen refueling stations.

Click here for the full press release from Nel.

On December 10, BayoTech announced its newest authorized agent, Hydrogen to Go Pty Limited (H2toGo). H2toGo will focus on finding opportunities for BayoTech's on-site hydrogen generators in Australia and New Zealand.

Click here for the full press release from BayoTech.

On December 21, PowerCell Sweden announced it has received an order for S3 fuel cell stacks from Bosch at a value of SEK 17.9 million (~$2.15 million). The order is expected to deliver in the first half of 2021.

Click here for the full press release from PowerCell.

ACT Expo, the advanced transportation technology and clean fleet event in North America, serves as a meeting place for transportation executives looking to gain insight and hands-on access to the fuels, technologies, and vehicles driving the future of transportation. ACT Expo features dozens of product debuts and major announcements from leading OEMs and suppliers, unparalleled networking opportunities with the most influential and progressive leaders in the industry, peer-to-peer learning for progressive fleet operators, and access to the most comprehensive assembly of advanced commercial vehicles anywhere.

Click here for more information.

The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is excited to introduce the EERE Program Information Center—EERE’s new portal for funding opportunities.

Organizations interested in working with EERE can use the EERE Program Information Center to identify and respond to open opportunities—including Funding Opportunity Announcements, Requests for Information, Notices of Intent, Notices of Technical Assistance, and Lab Calls. Watch the EERE YouTube video to learn more! (Note: you must use the Google Chrome web browser to access the EERE Program Information Center)

Click here for more information on the portal.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is announcing the release of its FY 2021 SBIR/STTR Phase I topics. Covering the research and development priorities of all EERE’s Technology Offices, these 12 topics comprised of 49 subtopics solicit innovative research across all three EERE Technology Sectors: Transportation, Renewable Energy, and Energy Efficiency.

Click here for more information.

The Western Australian Government is inviting Expressions of Interest from corporations and businesses across the world with the capacity, experience, and vision to be a part of a renewable hydrogen hub at the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area in the Mid West of Western Australia.

The Oakajee SIA is a 6400ha designated greenfields site located 23 kilometers north of Geraldton. The Western Australian Government intends to transform this site into a globally competitive, multi-product renewable hydrogen industrial precinct focusing on innovative technologies and future value chains.

The EOI will target groups wanting to produce commercial quantities of hydrogen, hydrogen users such as transport, metals refining and ammonia-manufacturing companies, hydrogen industry component manufacturers, and power and other infrastructure providers.

Click here for more information.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs provide startups and small businesses with non-dilutive funding to conduct research and development (R&D) work. The funding is intended to spur the creation of innovative new products and services, and to drive the commercial success of the small business.

The main purpose of these programs is to stimulate technological innovation and increase private sector commercialization. The programs at NSF have no specific topical or procurement focus. Generally, the topics included in NSF SBIR and STTR solicitations are broad to permit as many eligible science- and technology-based small businesses as possible to compete for funding. By doing so, NSF’s programs meet the purpose of the SBIR/STTR legislation by transforming scientific discovery and innovation into both social and economic benefit, and by emphasizing private sector commercialization.

SBIR/STTR awards are not traditional government contracts. They are not awarded in order to procure services or goods for the government. No tangible benefit is received by the government.

Click here for more information.

Maryland Energy Association (MEA) is providing the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Commercial, Industrial & Agricultural (CI&A) grant program to support improving the energy efficiency and reducing the energy costs of enterprises in Maryland’s commercial, industrial, and agricultural sector. The FY21 program will be divided into three separate application periods to best support energy efficiency projects for agriculture, manufacturing, and businesses that may be in varying planning stages or at various stages of readiness due to COVID-19.

Up to $1.65 million is available for award from in the FY21 CI&A Program , subject to availability. The Program budget will be divided between three application windows, as follows. If MEA does not award the full application period budget, any remaining funds will be added to the remaining application period’s budget. There will be three funding periods with $550,000 available each period. Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis by an evaluation team. Award announcements will be made as applications are competitively selected for award.

Period Due Dates:

Click here for more information.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $33 million in funding to support innovative hydrogen and fuel cell research & development (R&D), infrastructure supply chain development and validation, and cost analysis activities.

Activities that result from this FOA will support the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) H2@Scale vision and leverage capabilities at DOE National Labs through close collaboration with the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) and H2NEW consortia.

FOA topics include R&D in:

Additional topics include infrastructure R&D to validate hydrogen refueling models, and to develop supply chain components to enable high throughput fueling for hydrogen stations that serve heavy-duty applications. The FOA also seeks projects conducting independent cost analyses of hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cell technologies.

Click here for more information.

This Special Issue of a new journal called Fuels will feature several new peer-reviewed articles on the topic of “Clean and Renewable Hydrogen Fuel”. Articles will be solicited in June 2020 with expected submissions in February 2021 and publication of the Special Issue later in 2021. Key topics include biological production methods including fermentation and algae, gasification/pyrolysis, electrolysis, and other emerging methods for clean hydrogen production.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Click here for more information.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) have announced the application period is now open for the “Zero-Emission Drayage Truck and Infrastructure Pilot Project.” Eligible applicants to this competitive solicitation include local air districts, California-based public entities, and California-based non-profit organizations. CARB funding will be allocated towards the purchase of on-road zero-emission Class 8 trucks. CEC funding will support zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and installation, and workforce training and development. Other costs associated with administrative and data collection tasks will be supported by either CARB or CEC.

Click here for more information.

The West Coast Collaborative’s Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Corridor Coalition (WCC AFICC) seeks input on funding needs for plug-in electric, hydrogen, propane, compressed and/or liquefied natural gas fueling stations that are accessible to Class 5+ on-highway vehicles (>16,001 lbs), locomotives, marine vessels, and/or other heavy-duty nonroad equipment.

The WCC AFICC has developed a survey to collect information that will help evaluate funding needs for medium and heavy-duty (MHD) accessible alternative fuel stations along the West Coast. Feedback from this survey will also help to evaluate awareness of and satisfaction with the EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant programs.

Submit survey responses regarding needed MHD accessible plug-in electric, hydrogen, propane, compressed and/or liquefied natural gas fueling stations in the WCC states and territories, including: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Tribal Lands, and the U.S. Pacific Island Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. This survey seeks to build upon the findings presented in the CALSTART Medium and Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Strategic Development Plan (March 2020).

Click here to take the survey, and click here for more information.

The primary goal of the State Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Clean Fuels Incentive Program (CFIP) is to reduce consumption of imported petroleum through the use of homegrown alternative fuels that will result in a cleaner and greener transportation sector within Maryland, improving the state's economy and environment in the process. With a program budget of $1.3M, there are 2 areas of interest (AOI) under the FY21 CFIP.

Click here for more information.

There are $90 million in funds allocated to this category, for which the first installment was allotted $27 million. The first solicitation is scheduled for release pending approval by the South Coast AQMD Board on Friday, August 7, 2020. If approved, applications will be accepted online beginning Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. (PST) and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Both public and private entities that own and operate eligible vehicles may apply. Funding is available to replace the following vehicles with zero emission technologies:

Class 8 only:

Click here for more information.

CORE is designed to accelerate deployment of cleaner off-road technologies by providing a streamlined way for fleets ready to purchase specific zero-emission equipment to receive funding to offset the higher cost of such technologies. This project is analogous to the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), but will specifically target zero-emission off-road freight equipment that is currently in the early stages of commercial deployment.

Click here for more information.