Plans are unveiled for $150 million liquid hydrogen plant

 

Plans have been unveiled for construction of a $150 million liquid hydrogen plant to be built in the western U.S. to make enough hydrogen to provide fuel for 35,000 fuel cell electric vehicles.

The announcement was made by the Houston office of the French-owned industrial gas company Air Liquide. The company, with an office in Oklahoma City, has signed a long-term suupply agreement with FirstElement Fuel, a California based leader in retail hydrogen fuel sales.

Construction of the new plant is to begin next year but a location has yet to be chosen. However, the company said once completed, the plant will be capable of producing nearly 30 tons of hydrogen a day.

The move comes at a time when California is expected to have 40,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles on the roads by 2022. Touted as a zero-emissions vehicles, hydrogen-powered cars, trucks and buses only produce water and heat as byproducts.