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As part of a federally supported clean hydrogen center, one of the biggest fleets of hydrogen-powered transit vehicles in the country is aiming to transition to a cleaner and more local fuel source.
Around 5,000 daily rides are offered to commuters in the Canton, Ohio, area by the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, or SARTA. The authority now has 22 hydrogen fuel-cell buses, making it the fourth-largest fleet of hydrogen-powered transport vehicles in the nation, ten years after government grants enabled it to buy its first of these vehicles.
Because the cars only release warm air and water vapor as emissions, the neighborhoods where they operate have less air pollution. SARTA is working with energy company Enbridge and the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, or ARCH2, on a plan to produce the fuel on-site using solar power because the production and transportation of hydrogen for the fuel cells can be a major source of climate emissions.
Kirt Conrad, CEO of SARTA, stated that it will be environmentally friendly because hydrogen is produced by splitting water using renewable energy.
At the moment, the transportation organization buys hydrogen from Canada via truck that is produced from natural gas without carbon capture. About 11 tons of carbon dioxide are released for every ton of hydrogen produced by such gray hydrogen. Although the precise effects are still unknown, President Donald Trump’s anticipated tariffs against Canada may also have an impact on the price and availability of hydrogen for SARTA.
Prior to Dominion Energy’s Ohio utility firm being purchased by Enbridge, SARTAhad had already collaborated with Dominion on a compressed natural gas filling station. In 2023, SARTA and the firm joined others in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania to propose the ARCH2hub when the Biden administration revealed its regional clean hydrogen hub program. The hub received up to $925 million in funding last summer after being chosen as one of seven by the Department of Energy in late 2023.
On around 10 acres of recently purchased land adjacent to SARTA’s current hydrogen fuelling site, some 1,000 solar panels will be installed, according to Conrad. That would power an electrolysis facility that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen, producing up to one megawatt of electricity. Conrad continued, “The equipment would produce about 1 ton of hydrogen per day under the project’s current scope, enough to fuel 40 SARTAbuses.”
According to Enbridge spokesperson Stephanie Moore, specifics may alter as the project develops. The equipment used to produce and store hydrogen would belong to Enbridge.
According to Conrad, the project will cost approximately $15 million in total, with approximately 70% of that amount coming from grants and federal financing under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. However, it is uncertain if the Trump administration will back out of those promises, including some that have already been formally promised under contract.
According to Moore, ARCH2 has a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations that provides money for this initiative.We will proceed with this project as scheduled since we have not received any information describing any changes to that contract.
Conrad noted that the agency has occasionally encountered issues with fuel delivery, but if the project is successful, it will double SARTA’s supply of hydrogen, reduce costs and emissions, and increase the resilience of the transport system. He added that domestic hydrogen generation can help the United States achieve its energy independence objectives.
In 2014, SARTA began purchasing fuel-cell buses due to the desire to transition to greener fuels and the cost per mile when compared to diesel buses. These days, it has five smaller paratransit vehicles and seventeen huge buses that are powered by fuel cells, which split hydrogen into protons and electrons and send them in different directions. While the protons eventually combine with oxygen to form water, the electrons supply an electric current.
Fuel-cell buses have been operating in California for almost 20 years, and other locations have recently adopted the vehicles, such as Montgomery County in Maryland and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia.
According to Sean O. Leary, a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, the proposed SARTA and Enbridge project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to existing methods.
According to O Leary, green hydrogen is far superior to gray hydrogen. He is dubious, though, about whether fuel-cell buses are the modern-day vehicles he would pick for transportation networks in an effort to cut pollution.Personally, I would rather that they switch to biodiesel or electric buses, which would both significantly lower emissions and be far less expensive.
According to Conrad, SARTA would have like to have begun with green hydrogen, but ten years ago, it wasn’t commercially accessible. He believes it’s time to move to a cleaner hydrogen source now that technology has improved.
An industry may just require time to develop. Conrad stated, “And I believe that’s what we’re beginning to see now.”
According to SARTA, on-site hydrogen production might begin as early as 2028 if everything goes according to plan.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.