Air Liquide and Foothill Transit pilot advanced hydrogen mobile fueler supplied by North Las Vegas plant

Published on January 26, 2023

3 minutes

Air Liquide and Foothill Transit have reached an agreement to deploy the first operational advanced hydrogen mobile fueler (AHMF) in Pomona, Calif. Demonstrating its mastery of the hydrogen value chain, the fueler is supplied by Air Liquide’s largest liquid hydrogen production plant globally, based in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The technology demonstrated by this equipment enables and accelerates the adoption of hydrogen mobility for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. 

The AHMF is a hydrogen mobile fueling station “on wheels”, facilitating a complete, fast-fueling experience. Fully integrated into a 45-foot split axle trailer, providing a small footprint and ease of use, the fueler has the capacity to support small fleets of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The fuel dispensed by the AHMF includes supply from Air Liquide’s North Las Vegas hydrogen production plant, which came online May 2022. In addition to Air Liquide hydrogen fueling technology, the system leverages Air Liquide's sustainable, cryogenic cooling technology which can store renewable energy as cryogenic liquids. The AHMF uses liquid nitrogen in place of electricity for process cooling to perform fast hydrogen fueling. 

The deployment of the AHMF is in line with Air Liquide’s ambition to establish regional hydrogen ecosystems including the greater West Coast market, an area of high demand for hydrogen fuel. This mobile hydrogen infrastructure solution was developed in collaboration with Electricore, and is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), under Award Number DE-EE0007275.

"The Advanced Hydrogen Mobile Fueler is a prime example of how Air Liquide is leading the decarbonization of the mobility sector by providing innovative and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of the market and our customers. The technologies for hydrogen energy exist right now and we believe the next step to scaling hydrogen infrastructure is to enable regional and localized deployment of hydrogen solutions across sectors. With the advanced hydrogen mobile fueler, we are putting this belief into action."

Katie Ellet
President, Hydrogen Energy & Mobility North America

Air Liquide Hydrogen Energy activity 

Air Liquide, as a pioneer in hydrogen technologies, is convinced that clean hydrogen is a key to meet the challenge of the energy transition. In the past 60 years, the Group has developed unique expertise enabling it to master the entire supply chain, from production and storage to distribution and the development of applications for end users, thus contributing to the widespread use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. Air Liquide produces hydrogen for a wide range of applications from energy buffering and grid balancing to clean transportation and industrial usage. Air Liquide has committed to achieving 100 % low-carbon or renewable hydrogen supplied for energy and mobility applications by 2030.

Air Liquide in the United States

Air Liquide employs more than 20,000 people in the U.S. in more than 1,300 locations and plant facilities including a world-class R&D center. The company offers industrial and medical gases, technologies and related services to a wide range of customers in energy, petrochemical, industrial, electronics and healthcare markets. 

1This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government.  Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.  Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.  The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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