- FuelCell Energy's Tri-gen technology produces three
products: renewable electricity, renewable hydrogen, and usable
water
- Marks Toyota's first port vehicle processing facility in the
world to be powered by onsite-generated, 100 percent renewable
electricity
- Both light-duty and Class 8 heavy-duty fuel cell electric
vehicles have been fueled using Tri-gen generated renewable
hydrogen
LONG
BEACH, Calif., May 2, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCEL) and
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (Toyota) are celebrating the
grand opening of the first-of-its-kind "Tri-gen"
system at the Port of Long Beach,
California, today. Tri-gen uses biogas to produce renewable
electricity, renewable hydrogen, and usable water, and was built to
support the vehicle processing and distribution center for Toyota
Logistics Services (TLS) at Long
Beach, Toyota's largest North American vehicle processing
facility that receives approximately 200,000 new Toyota and Lexus
vehicles annually.
"The goal of our collaboration with FuelCell Energy was to find
sustainable solutions for the TLS vehicle processing facility here
at the Port of Long Beach as part
of our goal to remove carbon dioxide emissions from our
operations," said Group Vice President of Sustainability and
Regulatory Affairs at Toyota, Tom
Stricker. "This groundbreaking facility shows that there are
ways to reduce our emissions and burden on natural resources with
scalable technology based on hydrogen."
Thanks to FuelCell Energy's Tri-gen platform, TLS Long Beach is
Toyota's first port vehicle processing facility powered by 100
percent on-site generated renewable electricity. FuelCell Energy's
innovative fuel cell technology uses an electrochemical process
that converts directed renewable biogas into electricity, hydrogen,
and usable water with a highly efficient, combustion-free process
that emits virtually no air pollutants.
"Tri-gen demonstrates that hydrogen-based energy can benefit
businesses, deliver zero-emission transportation for light- and
heavy-duty vehicles, support improved air quality in local
communities, reduce water usage, and deliver immediate and
long-term benefits to the environment," FuelCell Energy CEO and
President Jason Few said. "As a
company, we are living our purpose when we enable visionary
customers like Toyota to decarbonize their operations and harness
the energy solutions offered by hydrogen—all while leaving
communities with cleaner air and easing the strain on power grids
and water supplies."
Tri-gen produces 2.3-megawatts of renewable electricity, part of
which will be utilized by TLS Long Beach to support its operations
at the port. Excess electricity is delivered to the local utility,
Southern California Edison, under the California Bioenergy Market
Adjustment Tariff (BioMAT) program, adding a renewable, resilient,
and affordable baseload electric generation resource to the
electric grid.
Tri-gen can also produce up to 1,200 kg/day of hydrogen for the
fueling needs of Toyota's incoming light-duty fuel cell electric
vehicle (FCEV) Mirai while also supplying hydrogen to the adjacent
heavy-duty hydrogen refueling station to support TLS logistics and
drayage operations at the port. As of January 1, 2024, California's Advanced Clean Fleet Regulation
will only allow zero-emission trucks to newly register as drayage
trucks. By 2035, all drayage trucks will be required to be
zero-emission. The Tri-gen platform supports FCEV Class 8 trucks
today and is there to support on-going migration to zero emission
trucks between now and 2035. Hydrogen production can be ramped up
and down based on demand. Since completing construction last
year, in January of this year Toyota used the renewable hydrogen
produced at Tri-gen to fill the first Toyota Mirai vehicles at TLS,
and in April the first heavy-duty FCEV Kenworth T680 Class 8 truck
was filled at the adjacent Shell HD filling station using
Tri-gen-produced renewable hydrogen.
The water byproduct of hydrogen generation can produce up to
1,400 gallons of usable water per day, which is being repurposed
for TLS car wash operations for vehicles that come into port
before customer delivery. This helps reduce the demand on the
constrained local water supplies by approximately half a million
gallons per year.
Supporting Port of Long Beach Initiatives
By supporting TLS operations at the Port of Long Beach, Tri-gen is expected to help reduce
more than 9,000 tons of CO₂ emissions from the power grid each
year. This supports both Toyota Logistics Services' carbon
reduction goals as well as the Port of Long Beach's goals as a leader in innovative
solutions to reducing carbon emissions.
"The dawn of the renewable hydrogen era is upon us, thanks to
our collaboration with Toyota and FuelCell Energy and their
innovative Tri-gen system," said Port of Long Beach CEO
Mario Cordero. "The green power
generated by the Tri-gen system, and similar projects, is part of
our multi-layered strategy to fuel our goal to become the world's
first zero-emissions Port."
Tri-gen will also help avoid more than six tons of grid NOx
emissions, which are harmful to both people and the environment
today. Using hydrogen-powered fuel cell Class 8 trucks in port
operations has the potential to reduce diesel consumption by more
than 420,000 gallons per year.
"FuelCell Energy and Toyota's collaborative effort signifies
technological innovation and also positions Long Beach at the forefront of global
leadership in renewable energy solutions,'' said Long Beach Mayor Rex
Richardson. "This transformative initiative solidifies our
city's status as a trailblazer in green initiatives and shows our
dedication to a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community
and beyond."
About FuelCell Energy
FuelCell Energy is a global leader in sustainable clean energy
technologies that address some of the world's most critical
challenges around energy, safety, and global urbanization. It
collectively holds more than 450 fuel cell technology patents in
the United States and globally. As
a leading global manufacturer of proprietary fuel cell technology
platforms, FuelCell Energy is uniquely positioned to serve
customers worldwide with sustainable products and solutions for
businesses, utilities, governments, and municipalities. The
Company's solutions are designed to enable a world empowered by
clean energy, enhancing the quality of life for people around the
globe.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in
North America for more than 65
years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than
1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the
design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and
trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant
in North Carolina will begin to
manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With
more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker,
Toyota currently offers 27 electrified options.
For more information about Toyota, visit
www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Press Contacts
Toyota Motor North America
Josh Burns
Joshua.Burns@Toyota.com
FuelCell Energy
Kathleen Blomquist
kblomquist@fce.com
Port of Long Beach
Lee Peterson
Lee.Peterson@polb.com
Investor Relations Contacts
FuelCell Energy
Tom Gelston
tgelston@fce.com
Toyota Motor North America
Yusuke Oku
yusuke.oku@toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America