Retrofitted hydrogen fuel cell electric vans
project could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
ONTARIO,
Calif., Oct. 19,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas)
and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) have
deployed the first of a planned 15 hydrogen fuel cell electric
vehicle (FCEV) medium-duty delivery vans, as part of their
collaborative effort to replace diesel-powered vehicles and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. SoCalGas' support and funding of the
project are aimed to help propel ongoing advancements toward the
commercialization of zero-emission, medium-duty vehicles and
potentially assist companies in decarbonizing their fleets. A
leading courier service is driving these hydrogen FCEV vans to
facilitate package deliveries in underserved communities within the
Inland Empire.
The project team successfully retrofitted and converted diesel
delivery vans to a hybrid electric drive, incorporating on-board
hydrogen storage and a fuel cell range extender. Frequent stops
made during deliveries allow the onboard hydrogen system to
recharge the battery, extending the vehicle range and allowing the
courier service to meet their route range requirements.
The pilot project aims to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen
FCEV vans for delivery operations. It is being developed in
partnership with Accelera by Cummins, Unique Electric
Solutions (UES), and the University of
Texas - Center for Electromechanics (CEM) and is backed by
U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies
Office (HFTO) , South Coast Air Quality Management
District (South Coast AQMD), California Energy
Commission (CEC), and California Air Resources
Board (CARB). This project was supported by the "California
Climate Investments" (CCI) program.
"This project is a successful private, public partnership
that showcases green technology and environmental
stewardship," said Wayne
Nastri, South Coast AQMD Executive Officer. "With
every package delivered using these emission free vans, we are
closer to reducing air pollution in our communities."
"Collaborative efforts among companies and organizations are
essential to help achieve California's climate goals and this innovative
project exemplifies such cooperation," said Neil Navin, Chief Clean Fuels Officer at
SoCalGas. "The integration of hydrogen storage, fuel cell
technology, battery packs, and power electronics is designed to
ensure sufficient vehicle power, maintain cargo capacity and weight
limitations, all while upholding a zero-emission standard."
"We couldn't be more excited to see years of hard work and
development come to fruition by putting these clean trucks into
service. This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the
support of our sponsors and dedication of our partners. Through
this type of technology demonstration and advancement we believe we
will continue to drive the industry towards clean transportation
solutions," said Jason Hanlin,
CTE's Director of Technology Development.
The delivery vans benefit from easy access to a public hydrogen
fueling station in Ontario, which
serves as a refueling point for the retrofitted vans. These vans
serve a high concentration of disadvantaged communities, and their
conversion to the use of hydrogen FCEVs could help mitigate
localized pollution concerns associated with package delivery. The
project team will continue to monitor the results of emissions
reductions during this pilot project, providing valuable insight
for similar initiatives.
CTE's broader efforts have assisted nearly 100 transit agencies
that have either deployed or will deploy more than 700
zero-emission buses and has managed or participated in almost 40
major projects across the country, helping agencies prepare
strategic plans to shift their full fleet of vehicles to
zero-emission.
While CTE's work has helped accelerate the shift toward
zero-emissions transportations, SoCalGas is also helping to lead
the charge. The company's focus on sustainability was notably
recognized last year when it received the Leading Private Fleet
Award at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo. This honor
acknowledges SoCalGas' efforts towards executing its ASPIRE 2045
sustainability strategy, which includes working to replace 50% of
its over-the-road fleet with clean fuel vehicles by 2025 and
operate a zero-emission fleet by 2035. Currently, a third of
SoCalGas' fleet operates on clean fuels.
Integral to the utility's sustainability strategy, SoCalGas
continues to foster collaborations with other companies within its
Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) portfolio
designed to forge new pathways for decarbonization and spur
innovation towards achieving net-zero emissions.
Learn more about SoCalGas' RD&D portfolio here.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is
the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable,
reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to over 21 million
consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central
and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's
pipelines will continue to play a key role
in California's clean energy transition—providing
electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy
deployment.
SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most
innovative energy infrastructure company in America. In support of
that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse
gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045
and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply
to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030.
Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills and
wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to
investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills
affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary
of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure company
based in San Diego.
For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or
connect with SoCalGas
on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas)
and Facebook.
About CTE
The Center for Transportation and the Environment is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the health of our
climate and communities by bringing people together to develop and
commercialize clean, efficient, and sustainable transportation
technologies. CTE collaborates with federal, state, and local
governments, fleets, and vehicle technology manufacturers to
complete our mission. Learn more at www.cte.tv.
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forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
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energy infrastructure, all of which have become more pronounced due
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or place those ratings on negative outlook or (ii) rising interest
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the clean energy transition in California; the impact of climate and
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trends, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on
natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory
environment for California natural
gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded
assets, and our ability to incorporate new technologies; weather,
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that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems,
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be recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may
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capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline
system or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage
facilities; changes in tax and trade policies, laws and
regulations, including tariffs, revisions to international trade
agreements and sanctions, any of which may increase our costs,
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certain counterparties, or impair our ability to resolve trade
disputes; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to
predict and beyond our control.
These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the
reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the
EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and
on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely
unduly on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra
Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC
(Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de
C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as
the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or
Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra
Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas
Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the
CPUC.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company