Not too long after announcing the establishment of its own hydrogen headquarters in California, Toyota has now announced a partnership with FuelCell Energy, Inc. and the launch of a Tri-Gen system at the Toyota Logistics Services (TLS) facility in the Port of Long Beach.
First port vehicle processing facility (PVPF) in the world to run entirely on renewable energy produced on-site, TLS will hold its grand opening on May 2, 2024.
FuelCell Energy’s Tri-Gen Technology
One of the top providers of sustainable clean energy technologies, FuelCell Energy uses electrochemical and combustion-free techniques to convert biogas into useable water, renewable energy, and hydrogen with nearly no air pollution.
EVs with light and heavy fuel cells are already powered by Tri-Gen technology. Water byproduct from FuelCell’s hydrogen generation will be used by TLS for its vehicle wash needs. It is possible to produce as much as 1,400 gallons of usable water each day, which means that an astounding 500,000 gallons less water are used annually due to the limited availability of local water sources.
A portion of the 2.3 megawatts of renewable electricity produced by FuelCell will be used to power the Toyota Logistics Services (TLS) Center in Long Beach; any extra will be sent to the nearby Southern California Edison utility. The hydrogen from FuelCell will also be used by TLS to power the heavy-duty hydrogen filling station and Toyota’s new Mirai light-duty electric vehicle.
Acquiring around 200,000 new Toyota and Lexus vehicles annually, TLS Long Beach stands as both Toyota’s first and largest PVPF in North America. Only locally produced renewable electricity is used to power it.
Triple-Generation Ecological
Sustainability is progressing at an exceptional rate because to FuelCell’s Tri-Gen approach. The reduction of dangerous grid NOx emissions by over six tons and the possible annual savings of over 420,000 gallons of diesel that would have been consumed by Class 8 port-operating vehicles are only a couple of its benefits.
More than 9,000 tons of CO2 power grid emissions from the TLS center alone will also be decreased with the use of this technology. This will support and further the environmental initiatives and objectives of the Port of Long Beach as well as the TLS Center.
Overview of Toyota and FuelCell Partnership
Mario Cordero, the CEO of the Port of Long Beach, and Rex Richardson, the mayor of Long Beach, commended the partnership and stressed the significance of technology in the Port’s plan to become the world’s first zero-emission port while also demonstrating the Port’s commitment to environmentally friendly projects.
The only drayage trucks that are permitted to reregister are zero-emission vehicles in accordance with California’s Advanced Clean Fleet Regulation, which went into effect at the start of this year. The Tri-gen platform will play a significant role in this shift, which aims to implement this regulation on all drayage trucks by 2035.
Group Vice President of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at Toyota, Tom Stricker, continued, “Tri-Gen hydrogen technology successfully proves that there are ways to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on natural resources.”
