California retail H2 fuel stations

[GRA]

GCC:

Shell, Toyota and Honda plan expansion of hydrogen refueling network in California

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/0 ... shell.html

On 4 September 2020, the California Energy Commission (CEC) posted a Notice of Proposed Award outlining subsidies to support hydrogen refueling infrastructure in California. Equilon Enterprises LLC (d/b/a Shell Oil Products US), hereafter referred to as Shell Hydrogen, participated as an applicant in the related Grant Funding Opportunity (GFO) and was awarded $40.8 million, subject to formal approval at a future CEC Business Meeting. (Earlier post.)

If successful, Shell Hydrogen will install hydrogen refueling equipment at 48 existing Shell retail stations, upgrade two current Shell Hydrogen stations and add light-duty fueling dispensers and positions at one existing Shell Hydrogen heavy-duty truck station.

Further, Toyota and Honda have agreed to expand Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) sales in California in support of these Shell Hydrogen stations. . . .

[Oilpan4]

With the state of California on fire from one end to the other, hydrogen is probably not the best idea for them.

[GRA]

GCC:

California Energy Commission approves plan to invest up to $115M for hydrogen fueling infrastructure; 111 new stations by 2027

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/1 ... ceco2.html

. . . The funding nearly doubles the state’s investments to date and will help California nearly achieve its goal to deploy 200 public hydrogen fueling stations. . . .

Under the plan, up to 111 new hydrogen fueling stations will be built in the state by 2027, including many designed for multi-use by passenger vehicles, trucks and buses. Total project funding is subject to annual approval of both the state budget and allocations from the CEC.

To date, the CEC has funded 45 open retail hydrogen stations with an additional 16 under construction. Altogether with today’s approved plan, there could be up to 179 stations in the state, including seven privately funded stations.

Commissioners awarded three grants totaling nearly $25 million for the installation of the first 30 stations under the plan. More than half of the stations approved today will be built in or near disadvantaged communities.

Irvine-based FirstElement Fuel, Inc., received $15.5 million.

San Francisco-based Equilon Enterprises (doing business as Shell Oil Products U.S.) received $7.3 million.

Santa Clara-based Iwatani Corporation of America, received $1.9 million.

First Element Fuel also received $5 million from the Volkswagen (VW) Environmental Mitigation Trust, a nationwide program that provides funding for states to mitigate the excess NOx emissions caused by VW’s use of illegal emissions testing defeat devices in their diesel vehicles. . . .

[GRA]

GCR:

Another fuel-cell outage hampers Bay Area fuel-cell drivers

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/11 ... ll-drivers

. . . Outlets in California appear to be buying the hydrogen from Air Products, which produces it in Louisiana and Texas, primarily for use by petroleum refineries. According to Air Products, Hurricane Zeta damaged the electrical supply to an important liquid hydrogen supply facility back when it made landfall October 28.

Air Products must have had enough of a buffer built up, because it didn’t put out an alert about the damage until November 18. On December 2—about the time reports of an outage first reached Green Car Reports’ desk—the company said that “the temporary impacts of this event may be more noticeable in Northern California,” anticipating the facility to be back “onstream” by December 7.

As of December 17, that facility was finally back producing hydrogen. “We anticipate gradually increasing supply levels at most Northern California fueling stations over the next few days and expect supply levels to resume to normal by December 23,” said Air Products, in a statement. “Until then, we continue to recommend that drivers check on the status of their selected fueling station prior to departing to fuel. . . .”

California Fuel Cell Partnership spokesperson Keith Malone reminded Green Car Reports that the newer stations that are opening have at least six times the hydrogen capacity of stations that opened in the 2014-2016 period.

“Not only are they larger, but the price has dropped about 25%,” he said. “As such, these kinds of supply and distribution issues will fade into the background over time.”

With hydrogen from a proposed plant in Lancaster, California, aiming to produce cost-competitive green hydrogen from renewable energy by 2023, the days of hurricanes affecting hydrogen supply might soon be over, but trucking it around looks like a continued part of the plan.

[JeremyW]

As someone who has been driving EVs for 8 years, hearing the words "departing to fuel" sounds absolutely absurd.

[GRA]

^^^ If you lived in a typical MUD I doubt it would sound that way, unless you found "departing to charge" likewise.

[JeremyW]

I've lived in six different MUDs in those 8 years. I found a way to charge in each of them. I also had workplace charging available at three different employers. But hey, I'm sure you'll move the goalposts, somehow.

[GRA]

I've lived in six different MUDs in those 8 years. I found a way to charge in each of them. I also had workplace charging available at three different employers. But hey, I'm sure you'll move the goalposts, somehow.

Good for you, you're very fortunate. But what about the 44% of U S. households which, according to a Plug-in America survey done a few years back, can't charge at home? I've walked around several of the nearby MUDs, and only ones of them has a (single) exterior 120V dual outlet, near the parking lot. Otherwise, If you happen to live above your carport you might be able to drop an extension cord down.

I also know two detached houses that also use 120V extension cords out a window, presumably because they rent. Do you think they all have access to workplace charging, given the small % of employers, mainly in white collar jobs, who have that?

BTW and purely anecdotal, but last night as I was walking home from the grocery store, there was a guy in a Mirai pulling into a parking place to use a bank ATM, so I asked him if he'd had any problems with fuel shortages. There's a (True Zero) station about 1.5 miles away that he presumably uses, and three other stations within about 15 miles. FWIW, he said he hadn't noticed any problems. I don't doubt there was a shortage, but he at least wasn't affected. Still, we can't be so dependent on such a limited number of suppliers.

[JeremyW]

My god, not even subtle.

Three paragraphs about how this EV tech can’t work, and some antidotes about electrical cords and some dude with a Miri that “hasn’t had any issues”.

I guess my point is, actually living with this tech really makes you see how some things are just... strange. Leaving your house (or work) to go out of the way to fuel feels strange, once you have the option to fuel where your car already parks. But, I guess you wouldn’t know that, despite being on this forum for a number of years and having posted thousands of times, despite not owning a leaf or any EV for that matter.

But hey, the fuel cell threads won’t pop up to the top of the active topics on their own, right? Gotta keep linking articles to keep a glimmer of hope (some might say it’s actually meant to be a bit of shade on this whole BEV thing) and rebutting those who call out the challenges, physical problems, fuel shortages, lack of vehicle models, missed timelines, millions of state and federal money burned, and on and on... I mean if someone doesn’t champion for hydrogen on a Nissan Leaf forum, who will?!?

[Oilpan4]

Yeah agreed, fuel cell is pretty much dead.
By the time fuel cell and hydrogen tech is ready to go for automotive use batteries will make it obsolete at least for personal vehicle applications.