Toyota to Build the World’s First Megawatt-Scale Renewable Power and Hydrogen Generation Station

Toyota is to construct the world’s first megawatt-scale carbonate fuel cell power generation plant and hydrogen fuelling station. Announced yesterday (30 November) at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the new Tri Gen facility will support the company’s operations at the Port of Long Beach in California. It will use bio-material sourced from agricultural waste produced in the state to generate water, electricity and hydrogen.

When it comes online in 2020, Tri-Gen will have an output of approximately 2.35 megawatts of electricity and 1.2 tonnes of hydrogen per day. That’s enough to power the equivalent of around 2,350 (US) average-sized homes and meet the daily driving needs of nearly 1,500 vehicles. The facility will supply Toyota Logistics Services’ operations at the port, making it the first Toyota business in North America to be entirely powered by renewables.

Doug Murtha, Toyota North America’s Group Vice President for Strategic Planning, said: “For more than 20 years, Toyota has been leading the development of fuel cell technology, because we understand the tremendous potential (it has) to reduce emissions and improve society. Tri-Gen is a major step forward for sustainable mobility and a key accomplishment of our 2050 Environmental Challenge to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions from our operations.”

As well as serving as a proof-of-concept of 100 per cent renewable, local hydrogen generation on a major scale, Tri-Gen will supply all Toyota fuel cell vehicles moving through the port, including new deliveries of the Mirai saloon and the Toyota heavy duty fuel cell truck, known as Project Portal. Toyota has also built one of the world’s largest hydrogen fuelling stations on-site, with the help of Air Liquide.

Tri-Gen has been developed by FuelCell Energy with the support of the US Department of Energy and a number of California regional agencies, including the University of California at Irvine, where research helped developed the core technology. The facility goes beyond the state’s strict air quality standards and advances the overall goals of the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission and local air quality management districts, which have played leading roles in reducing emissions and improving air quality.

Toyota remains committed to supporting the development of a consumer-facing hydrogen infrastructure so that the potential of fuel cell vehicles can be realised. Thirty-one retail hydrogen stations are now open for business in California and Toyota continues to work in partnership with a broad range of companies to develop more sites. This includes a partnership with Shell, the first such collaboration between a major automotive business and a leading oil company.