Equalling a $250m investment, the renewable hydrogen produced at the plant will serve the western US mobility market.

Road Map to a US Hydrogen Economy sets out plans for 150,000 light and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2025, increasing to 1.2 million FCEVs and 4,300 stations by 2030. Two decades later (2050), the report envisions that three out of 10 vehicles on the road are FCEVs, and the hydrogen economy represents 68 million metric tons of hydrogen consumed every year.

Air Liquide’s North Las Vegas facility is going to be instrumental in seeing these plans come to fruition.

The plant will have a capacity of nearly 30 tonnes of liquid hydrogen per day, produced in part from renewable natural gas sourced from landfills using Air Liquide’s advanced separation membrane technology.

Located just next to California, one of the world’s largest fuel cell vehicle markets with one of the most robust retail refuelling station networks, Air Liquide said the plant will be key in expanding hydrogen supply on the West Coast, thus enabling this market to continue its growth, whilst serving as the first step for the company’s role in clean mobility development in North Las Vegas.

“In order to address the pressing needs of the California mobility market for a safe, reliable and efficient supply of hydrogen for mobility, Air Liquide is completing a $250m investment to build its largest liquid hydrogen production plant and logistics infrastructure in North Las Vegas, Nevada,” Katie Ellet, President of Hydrogen Energy & Mobility at Air Liquide North Americas, told H2 View.

“The plant, which is dedicated to the mobility market and will produce and liquefy 30 tonnes per day of hydrogen, is expected to be commissioned by the end of the month.”

Sue Ellerbusch, CEO of Air Liquide North America, previously told H2 View that capacity is enough to fuel 35,000 FCEVs, more than three times the number of FCEVs on the road in California today.

Read more: North America’s hydrogen highway