Toyota, FuelCell Energy Complete Tri-gen Production System at Port of Long Beach

FuelCell Energy, in collaboration with Toyota, has completed the first tri-generation production system. Installed at the Port of Long Beach in California, the system produces renewable electricity, renewable hydrogen, and usable (non-saline) water. This will be the first fully onsite-generated renewable port vehicle processing facility for Toyota.

Toyota has been operating hydrogen fuel cell trucks from the Port of Long Beach for years in a test program for a Mirai-based heavy-duty semi-truck as well as battery-electric port machines and trucks. The Tri-gen system helps facilitate that as the trucks become production-ready. Toyota and FuelCell Energy have signed a 20-year agreement for the fuel products.

“By utilizing only renewable hydrogen and electricity production, [Toyota Logistics Services] Long Beach will blaze a trail for our company. Working with FuelCell Energy, together we now have a world-class facility that will help Toyota achieve its carbon reduction efforts, and the great news is this real-world example can be duplicated in many parts of the globe.” –Chris Reynolds, Chief Administrative Officer, Toyota

FuelCell Energy’s fuel cell technology will support Toyota’s operations at the port through an electrochemical process that converts directed renewable biogas with a highly efficient, combustion-free process that emits virtually no air pollutants. Support includes:

1. Tri-gen produces 2.3-megawatts of renewable electricity, part of which will be off-taken by TLS Long Beach to support its operations at the port, which processes approximately 200,000 new Toyota and Lexus vehicles annually.
2. The FuelCell Energy Tri-gen system can produce up to 1,200 kg/day of hydrogen which will provide for TLS Long Beach’s fueling needs for its incoming light-duty fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) Mirai, while also supplying hydrogen to the nearby heavy-duty hydrogen refueling station to support TLS logistics and drayage operations at the port. Hydrogen production can be ramped up and down based on needs/requirements.
3. 1,400 gallons of water will be co-produced per day from Tri-gen’s hydrogen production process and will be used by TLS Long Beach for car wash operations for vehicles that come into port prior to customer delivery. This will help decrease the use of constrained local water supplies by approximately half a million gallons per year.

“Renewable hydrogen is an important fuel for the future of the Port of Long Beach and the shipping industry. The renewable hydrogen generated by the ‘Tri-gen’ system that Toyota commissioned, and similar projects, is part of our multi-strategy approach to help fuel the transition of equipment like locomotives, harbor craft, cargo-handling equipment and trucks to zero emissions.” –Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero

Tri-gen will also help to avoid more than six tons of grid NOx emissions and has the potential to reduce diesel consumption by more than 420,000 gallons per year. Excess electricity not used by TLS will be delivered to the local utility, Southern California Edison, under the California Bioenergy Market Adjustment Tariff (BioMAT).