Toyota has long been committed to developing hydrogen-power stations across the U.S. to provide energy for its line of electric fuel-cell vehicles, such as its Class 8 drayage truck and its Mirai Sedan which emit only water vapor. It already has 31 retail hydrogen stations open in California.
On Thursday, Toyota took an exciting new step towards that commitment and announced plans to construct the world’s first 100% renewable energy-powered fuel-cell plant and hydrogen fueling station
The station, named Tri-Gen, will be operational by 2020 and will support all fuel cell vehicles working in Toyota’s facility in the Port of Long Beach. It will produce enough energy to power nearly 2,350 homes and 1,500 vehicles.
Tri-Gen will be fueled primarily by California’s agricultural waste, including dairy farm manure:
“In most states, you have a conventional natural gas pipeline network that provides heat for your stove or furnace. The majority of natural gas comes from drilling for well gases,” said Matt McClory, senior engineer with Toyota research and development. “We’re trying to green up this process. One way is to find renewable sources, like from gases emitted from landfills, wastewater treatment plants and farm animals.”
For this project, Toyota will source renewable methane from agricultural waste, primarily from dairy farm manure in California, said McClory, who graduated from high school in Lemoore, Calif., known for its dairy cattle operations.
Manufacturers continue to lead the way in advancing energy efficiency and sustainability efforts that positively impact manufacturing and the industry’s contributions to environmental protection. The announcement from Toyota is another step in the company’s own commitment to reduce the level of emissions from its commercial freight. From Bloomberg:
Tri-Gen marks an expansion in Toyota’s effort to harness hydrogen to help the state of California cut pollution from hauling of commercial freight, especially at major ports. The ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland handle 40 percent of U.S. container traffic, with commercial shipments generating half of California’s toxic diesel-soot emissions and 45 percent of the nitrogen oxide that plagues L.A. with the nation’s worst smog.
