Nel Hydrogen and Tenaris work together for fuel cell truck refueling network

The companies have partnered on establishing this infrastructure in California for the first time.

A solid hydrogen fuel cell truck refueling network has been seen as one of the top challenges to deploying H2-powered fleets. Tenaris and Nel Hydrogen have partnered to bring this infrastructure to California.

This is a first in the state and will cover the Port of LA through to a major inland warehouse complex.

The two companies will work together to support the deployment of hydrogen as a source of renewable energy in transportation. This fuel cell truck refueling network in California will serve the region spanning from the Port of Los Angeles through to a major inland warehouse complex. The goal is to substantially reduce the emissions produced along that route resulting from tractor trailer-based transportation.

The partnership was created to supply high pressure hydrogen storage solutions for Shell to install in Long Beach. The project, known as Shore to Store, is planned for scaling up in different phases. To start, there will be two high capacity heavy-duty fueling stations. The first will be in Wilmington near the Port of Los Angeles. The second will be in Ontario, California, near the warehouse center. Those stations are both in the commissioning phase for the completion of the region’s complete heavy-duty hydrogen fueling network.

The fuel cell truck refueling network was first imagined in 2018, when planning for the project began.

“A very challenging project kicked-off in 2018 when we brought together our solid technical expertise, R&D know-how and vertical production capabilities to develop unique solutions. We are playing a significant role in the hydrogen revolution and are a reliable partner for our customers,” said Tenaris’ President for Europe, Michelle Della Briotta.

Among the challenges for this project had to do with the complexity due to the high working pressures and hydrogen embrittlement features. Tenaris completed a full R&D process and came up with the technical solutions needed for manufacturing vessels with the necessary specifications to boost resistance to fatigue life, while still maintaining safety and quality.

“In addition to the high performance and reliability of Tenaris’s products, during the deployment of this project, we appreciated the on-site customer support provided, in particular for the assistance in the assembly of the large racks for the vessels, which made the difference in assuring high quality levels,” explained Nel Hydrogen Product Support & Application Engineering Manager for North America, Kyle McKeown while discussing the fuel cell truck refuelling network project.