FuelCell Energy to produce renewable transportation fuel for Toyota

FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) said today it will be installing a fuel cell power plant in California to produce 100% renewable hydrogen for Toyota Motor Corp’s (TYO:7203) electric cars and trucks.

Under a newly-signed contract with Toyota, the US company will build and operate a multi-megawatt SureSource Hydrogen plant at the Port of Long Beach that will not only produce hydrogen but also electricity. The generated renewable power will be supplied to the grid under the California Bioenergy Market Adjustment Tariff (BioMAT) programme, FuelCell Energy said.

Toyota, in turn, will use the supplied hydrogen to fuel its Mirai vehicles as they arrive at the port, as well as its heavy-duty fuel cell Class 8 proof of concept truck.

Toyota Motor North America Inc (TMNA) said separately that the project will be the world’s first megawatt-scale carbonate fuel cell power generation plant with a hydrogen fueling station. Called Tri-Gen, the facility will be using bio-waste sourced from California agricultural waste to generate water, electricity and hydrogen.

Upon completion in 2020, the plant will be generating 2.35 MW of electricity and 1.2 tonnes of hydrogen per day. This would be enough to supply the equivalent of some 2,350 average-sized homes and meet the daily driving needs of almost 1,500 vehicles, Toyota said.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!