Nikola, TC Energy to build hydrogen hubs; Foothill Transit orders NFI hydrogen buses
TC Energy will leverage its significant pipeline, storage and power assets to lower the cost and increase the speed of delivery of these hydrogen production hubs.
Nikola Corporation and TC Energy Corporation will collaborate on co-developing, constructing, operating and owning large-scale hydrogen production hubs in the US and Canada.
The collaboration aims to establish hubs producing 150 tonnes/day or more of hydrogen near highly travelled truck corridors to serve Nikola’s planned need for hydrogen to fuel its Class 8 FCEVs within the next five years. TC Energy will use its assets including exploring the integration of midstream assets to enable hydrogen distribution and storage via pipeline and/or to deliver CO2 to permanent sequestration sites to decarbonize the hydrogen production process.
Pablo Koziner, Nikola President Energy and Commercial, said, “This collaboration with TC Energy is intended to enable the production of hydrogen at quantities and costs that are required to support customer adoption and use of FCEVs.”
Corey Hessen, TC Energy’s Senior VP, commented, “By leveraging our natural gas and power operations footprint, we see this new partnership as an important first step in facilitating access to affordable low-carbon production of hydrogen for the transportation and industrial sector.”
In a separate development, New Flyer of America Inc. has received a new contract from Foothill Transit for 20 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses. The order for Xcelsior Charge H2™ forty-foot heavy-duty transit buses is supported by Federal Transit Administration funds. Foothill Transit is based in West Covina, California, operating one of the largest fleets of electric buses in America and providing over 14 million trips annually in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
Paul Soubry, CEO of NFI, commented, “Since 2004, NFI has supported the agency’s progressive sustainability goals with nearly 380 low-emission, compressed natural gas buses delivered, and, more recently, two Alexander Dennis E500 battery-electric double-deck buses.”
Doran Barnes, CEO of Foothill Transit, said, “Our path to a fully zero-emission fleet continues with the addition of NFI hydrogen fuel cell technology. We envision a future where a variety of strategies work together to allow us to achieve our zero-emission goals.”
