This month, Air Liquide, a French industrial gas business, will establish a facility near Las Vegas that will convert methane from landfills into hydrogen, which will be used to power emission-free automobiles and trucks.
According to Mike Graff, an Air Liquide senior vice president, the $250 million plants will be able to create up to 30 tonnes of liquid hydrogen each day, which is enough for around 40,000 fuel-cell vehicles.
Despite the fact that California has only roughly 12,000 hydrogen vehicles registered, Air Liquide aims to export all of the plant’s production there. However, as California strives to decarbonize its economy by 2045, the business anticipates an increase in demand for hydrogen as a transportation fuel, particularly in long-haul cars.
Large battery packs for electric trucks add a lot of weight, and hydrogen fuel cells replenish much faster than batteries, which is important for long-haul drivers.
“You’ve taken on a full load of hydrogen and you’re back on the road again in five minutes,” Mr. Graff added.
The plant’s basic material will be landfill gas, which will prevent methane from leaking into the environment and contributing to global warming.
The landfill gas will be processed into renewable natural gas before being removed from hydrogen using steam reformation. Although steam reformation emits carbon dioxide, another greenhouse gas, Mr. Graff claims that the benefits of keeping the initial methane out of the air will outweigh the emissions.
FirstElement Fuel, a California firm that manages hydrogen fueling stations, will receive the hydrogen from Air Liquide. In 2019, Air Liquide invested $12 million in FirstElement.
