The Potential and Costs of Hydrogen for the Trucking Industry Discussed at CERAWeek

Hydrogen in trucks was the focus of a panel at CERAWeek (Photo: Jim Allen)

Numerous discussions on trucking and hydrogen-based solutions took place at the S&P Global by CERAWeek, a festival of everything hydrogen. The panel, comprised of a fuel provider, a fuel cell manufacturer, and an application developer, emphasized the significance of collaboration in the hydrogen supply chain in order to make it a commercially viable option for heavy-duty trucks. Initial costs for infrastructure development, such as the size of a football stadium's storage requirements, were cited as the most significant barrier to the widespread adoption of hydrogen for heavy-duty vehicles. In the trucking industry, hydrogen was touted as the fuel of the future due to its strengths, which include fuel cell stack predictability, endurance, and enduring economies of scale. The initial investment required for hydrogen infrastructure necessitates cooperation, policies, and significant effort.

Despite hydrogen's potential as a fuel, its infrastructure development presents significant challenges that are advantageously front-loaded. The advantages of hydrogen were highlighted as a potential alternative to battery-powered electric vehicles, which have significant drawbacks including limited range and high cost. While fuel cell manufacturers have extensive experience with hydrogen fuel cells in buses, the challenge lies in adapting to the space-restrictive structures of commercial vehicles like trucks. The storage of hydrogen onboard trucks to supply fuel cells requires further development. Ultimately, the adoption of hydrogen technology in trucks requires a specific use case to determine its total cost of ownership, which includes determining whether it achieves a company's zero-carbon goals within an appropriate cost structure.

Despite initial expenses, the demand for hydrogen is high. End-users have demonstrated a high level of interest, and logistics players and companies that interact with consumers have ambitious decarbonization plans, putting pressure on them to adhere to environmental, social, and governance principles. 

According to Ballard, a manufacturer of fuel cells, product introductions by OEMs have occurred faster than anticipated, and the required market triggers are imminent. According to Hoban of Chevron, these are real solutions that can be deployed and scaled to where we know we can go.