Toyota Motor [7203:JP] and US hydrogen technology company FuelCell Energy have established a comprehensive energy platform at Toyota’s logistics site in California, as reported by Forbes on September 7. The platform, deployed in Toyota’s main US logistics center at the Port of Long Beach, has the capability to convert biogas derived from agricultural waste and sludge into 2.3 megawatts (MW) of electricity, 1,200 kilograms (kg) of hydrogen, and 1,400 gallons of water per day. The green hydrogen produced will be used to fuel both Toyota’s Mirai fuel cell cars and a fuel cell power plant located within the logistics center. The green electricity generated from the plant will power the logistics center’s operations, with any surplus electricity being transmitted to the local power grid.

The implementation of this platform aligns with Toyota’s objective of achieving carbon neutrality at its facilities by 2035 and eliminating CO2 emissions from energy use in its buildings and plants by 2050. Additionally, the automaker aims to leverage the substantial incentives provided by the US to promote clean hydrogen production. In August of the previous year, the Biden administration enacted the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which allocates USD369bn for green energy-related expenditures and tax incentives. Within the IRA’s Production Tax Credit (PTC) provisions, clean hydrogen production projects that emit less than four kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) greenhouse gases per kilogram of hydrogen are eligible for a tax credit of up to USD 3 per kilogram of hydrogen produced.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/09/07/this-company-is-turning-waste-into-clean-hydrogen-and-electricity-and-water/?sh=7c48b11d6b08

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-07/at-toyota-import-center-one-plant-makes-power-water-hydrogen

https://heatmap.news/economy/hydrogen-tax-credit-rules-when