Chevron and Iwatani Corp. plan to establish 30 hydrogen fueling stations at Chevron-branded retail stores across California by 2026. The hydrogen produced in Richmond will be used in part to power the fuelling stations.
Chevron’s announcement is part of a larger, long-term plan to build a green hydrogen fuel infrastructure that would, among other things, provide a zero-emission energy source for commercial and passenger vehicles. Hydrogen is seen as an important part of the Bay Area’s energy transformation.
The city of Richmond is expected to take a significant role in the initiative. Excess hydrogen production capacity at the Chevron Richmond Refinery, as well as a prospective hydrogen production plant at the Republic Services dump in Richmond, will supply the 30 additional hydrogen fuel stations.
Chevron invested in the construction of modular waste-to-hydrogen production facilities in Northern California alongside SR Raven and others last summer. The Republic Services plant in Richmond will cover roughly 1.5 acres and treat up to 70 tons of garbage per day while producing 5,000 kilos of hydrogen fuel per day. The proprietary hydrogen-production technology developed by SR Raven does not use combustion and uses less water than competing technologies. MCE Solar One, a 10.5 MW solar farm on Chevron land along Richmond Parkway, will provide around 85 percent of the electricity necessary to operate the Richmond factory.
Raven SR anticipates opening its Richmond plant in September or October.
“Chevron thinks hydrogen has the potential to help reduce carbon emissions in the transportation industry and other difficult-to-decarbonize industries,” said Andy Walz, head of Chevron’s Americas Fuels & Lubricants. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with Iwatani to improve the whole hydrogen transportation value chain, from manufacturing to consumer purchase, to assist our clients to reduce their lifecycle transportation carbon intensity.”
