Hydrogen-powered truck project dedicated at Port of Oakland

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The Port of Oakland Thursday celebrated the dedication of its hydrogen-powered truck project at a new hydrogen fueling station.

Called the NorCal ZERO project, the $53 million collaborative effort will deploy 30 Hyundai XCIENT Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks (FCET) in Northern California. The trucks can travel more than 400 miles on a single fill of hydrogen and will primarily provide haul freight and cars to destinations in the Bay Area and the Central Valley.

“The Port of Oakland is pleased to be a part of this innovative, clean energy project that puts Oakland at the forefront of addressing global climate change,” Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan said. “This hydrogen fuel station and these fuel cell trucks represent a strong option for the future of trucking in California. They also support our efforts toward a zero emissions seaport.”

The NorCal ZERO project is the first to introduce the XCIENT Class 8 FCET, designed and manufactured by Hyundai Motor Company, in the U.S. market. The trucks will refuel at a recently opened, high-capacity and high-throughput liquid hydrogen fueling station built and operated by First Element Fuel. The station has a storage capacity of 18,000 kilogram, that can support more than 2,000 trucks per day.

The project was funded by the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.