POLA Gets $41 Million For Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell-Electric Freight Project

With support from Toyota, Kenworth and Shell, the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) said it will establish a fuel-cell-electric technology network for freight transport to move goods from “shore to store”

The project will include 10 heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell-electric trucks, two new heavy-duty hydrogen fuel stations, and four  cargo handling machines.

Funding comes from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which has preliminarily awarded $41 million dollars to POLA for the Zero Emission and Near Zero-Emission Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) project. The total project cost for this initial phase is $82,568,872, with partners providing 50.2%, or $41,446,612 in match funding.

The Zero and Near Zero-Emission Freight Facilities project — proposed with support from Toyota, Kenworth, and Shell — provides a large-scale “shore to store” plan and a hydrogen fuel-cell-electric technology framework for freight facilities to structure operations for future goods movement.

The Zero-Emission and Near Zero-Emission Freight Facilities project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“This matching grant from CARB’s California Climate Investments program is critically needed funding support to develop and commercialize the next generation of clean port equipment and drayage truck, as well as the infrastructure to support it,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This grant funds a public-private collaboration that is representative of our commitment to being a ‘market maker’ through collaborative technology and fuel infrastructure development with industry leaders like Toyota, Kenworth and Shell.”

The Port of Los Angeles will develop the project in several phases, ultimately encompassing initiatives in Southern California, the Central Coast Area, and Merced County. The initial phase is designed to develop a new class of goods movement vehicles, while reducing emissions.

The project phases will include:

–Ten new hydrogen fuel-cell-electric Class 8 on-road trucks based on the Kenworth T680 platform will be developed through a collaboration between Kenworth and Toyota to move cargo from the Los Angeles ports throughout the Los Angeles basin, and eventually to inland locations. The trucks will be operated by Toyota Logistics Services (4), United Parcel Services (3), Total Transportation Services Inc. (2), and Southern Counties Express (1).

–Two new large capacity heavy-duty hydrogen fueling stations will be developed by Shell in Wilmington and Ontario, California. The new stations will join three additional stations located at Toyota facilities around Los Angeles to form an integrated, five-station heavy-duty hydrogen fueling network. Together, they will provide multiple sources of hydrogen throughout the region, including over 1 ton of hydrogen per day at the heavy-duty station to be operated by Shell. Stations supplied by Air Liquide at Toyota Logistics Services in Long Beach and Toyota Technical Center in Gardena, Calif. will serve as research and development locations.

–Expanded use of technology in off-road and warehouse equipment, including the first two yard tractors to be operated at the Port of Hueneme, as well as the expanded use of forklifts at Toyota’s port warehouse.

The “shore to store” project complements the technology that is already under development for testing at Los Angeles terminals through partnership with the California Energy Commission.

Review and input on project implementation will be provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.