US DOE’s $2.5 million grant to boost hydrogen fuel use at Port of Oakland

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted $2.5 million for the development and demonstration of advances in fuel cell technology at the Port of Oakland.

As disclosed, the total project cost will be over $7 million and is a part of the port’s effort to transform all aspects of maritime operations to zero emissions.

Port stakeholders, including the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC), TraPac and Hyster-Yale Group, will provide local project funding under existing cost-sharing agreements, the port revealed, noting that Alameda CTC is providing up to $2 million to support the project.

According to the port, project benefits include:

• advancing the commercialization of zero-emissions container handling equipment (CHE) by developing and demonstrating two zero-emissions fuel cell electric top loaders (FCETLs) at a high technology readiness,
• filling a key technology gap by using Hyundai’s Class 8 fuel cell electric truck to develop the first zero-emission hydrogen wet-hose mobile refueler (WHMR) and
• supplying fuel to hydrogen vehicles in ports and other industries, while maximizing operational uptime.

The FCETLs and WHMR will be demonstrated in regular container handling service at the Port of Oakland.

This demonstration project is expected to take four years and expand the port’s capabilities to use hydrogen fuel to power operations.

Port of Oakland’s Executive Director Danny Wan commented: “We are working non-stop towards achieving the goal of becoming a zero-emissions port. We thank the U.S. Department of Energy for selecting Oakland to be part of this hydrogen project. Oakland is at the forefront of this innovative clean energy technology for the transportation industry.”

For more news about hydrogen in the U.S., click here.