PowerTap eyes bus fleets and trains

PowerTap Hydrogen Fueling Corp (an investee company of Clean Power Capital Corp.) is planning to enters the public transport sector. The company has started discussions with various cities to explore potential partnership for its onsite hydrogen production and dispensing technology in public transport such as commercial buses and trains.

The company has already targeted the fuel cell cars and trucks market, but this is the first time it tries to penetrate the trains and buses sector. It plans to build over 500 hydrogen refuelling stations across the US and partners with Andretti Group to promote the technology. PowerTap uses its 3rd generation onsite hydrogen production module, which converts natural gas to blue hydrogen.

Hydrogen application in the rail industry is growing. In Europe, Coradia iLint, a hydrogen-powered train built by German company Alstom, is currently being deployed.

Raghu KIlambi, CEO of PowerTap, said, “PowerTap continues to have discussions with various commercial opportunities in various verticals and will continue to update shareholders in the coming weeks and months.

Besides the railway industry, the company is also now targeting the expanding hydrogen-powered public bus fleet. Compared to hydrogen-powered rail, fleets have been growing very fast. In 2016, the California Transit Authority (OCTA) started operating a fuel cell bus in a pilot project. It now plans to add ten additional fuel cell buses under a funded project.

It is unknown whether PowerTap has been in touch with any cities outside the US to see if the technology can be used to potentially power rails and bus fleets.

Raghu KIlambi, CEO of PowerTap told H2 Bulletin ” We have had enquiries from around the world and continue to have active discussions.”