Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2022 - 17

EXECUTIVE VIEWPOINTS
The U.S. Department of
Energy is assessing all
pathways with potential
for " 1 1 1 " : $1 for one
kilogram of clean
hydrogen in one decade.
ICE use, with more than 50,000 in use
nationwide. He explained that creating a
distribution network for the fuel will be
crucial, noting 200 retail stations (primarily
in California) are being planned,
with 50 already installed and operating.
He cited 12 to 20 stations planned in the
Northeast supporting the 12,000 lightduty
vehicles on U.S. roads today.
While there is growing technology
" There's lots of
job potential and
lots of revenue
potential with
hydrogen for all
these different
to take advantage of hydrogen's properties,
Devlin explained that reducing
the price of the fuel will be key. " It's
not just R&D, " he explained. " We've
got to get large volume to get the cost of the hydrogen
down. We've taken a broad view of where hydrogen
can be certainly anchored by transportation, and
we've been working on that for many years now, but
also recognizing there's good uses of hydrogen for
other sectors as well. "
" Some of the key opportunities that we are pursuapplications. "
-
Peter Devlin,
U.S. Dept. of Energy
ergy earth shots " announced), labeled " 1 1 1 " : $1 for
one kilogram of clean hydrogen in one decade.
" We still have a cost for hydrogen fuel that's too
high. For fuel cells, we need that to come down more
so everybody can make a profit by selling these vehicles, "
Devlin reiterated. Beyond cost, a sufficient infrastructure
and public awareness remain the largest
challenges. " People still don't know what we mean by
hydrogen fuel and how we can use it to power our
vehicles, and to use it for a number of energy sources, "
he said. " So, we've still got a way to go. "
Applying a new form of energy
ing now include steel for direct iron reduction, ammonia
needs hydrogen, and sustainable aviation
fuel, " he continued. " There's a three-billion-gallon
goal in the Department of Energy to provide clean
aviation fuel, and they need clean hydrogen to make
that happen. Transportation's broader now. We've
spent years on light duty, but we're also quite involved
now with medium- and heavy-duty trucks,
and marine and buses, of course. There's lots of job
potential and lots of revenue potential with hydrogen
for all these different applications. "
According to Devlin, the cost challenges are being
hardwired into the agency's policy, noting the
" Hydrogen Shot " challenge set forth by U.S. Secretary
of Energy Jennifer Granholm (the first of several " enTRUCK
& OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
Ricardo's Richart noted that her company is in a unique position, as it
combines engineering consultancy with strategic and environmental
services. " Having a combination of the three is especially important
for hydrogen, " she said, " because there are often complex issues to
solve because 'Where does the energy come from?' and 'How do I
use it in vehicles?' need to be solved together. We can help people
on the journey, from the environmental issues all the way to that actual
vehicle-level engineering. "
Richart said Ricardo sees hydrogen as part of the mix, and it works
to stay technology neutral. " We don't push hydrogen to people just
because I love it and represent hydrogen in Ricardo, " she chided. " If
the right solution is electrification/battery, we will do that for our
clients. Hydrogen is really just one of the many answers clients can
get when they come and ask for solutions. "
Key to making an informed decision on a vehicle's propulsion system
is understanding the entire hydrogen value chain, Richart explained,
beginning with how the hydrogen is produced. " How we
produce it, where we produce it, is actually quite complex, " she said.
" Then comes the storage, which needs to be sized right to the volatile
demand. Then distribute it at the right time, right place, and then
utilization. It's not just the transportation which we are focusing on
today, but the whole industry. "
June 2022 17
DOE
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2022

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