It aims to produce 20,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually throughout its first phase, making it one of the largest green hydrogen projects in the state.

The facility, scheduled to begin commercial operations in early 2025, will use dedicated solar to power Element’s electrolysers to produce zero-emission, renewable hydrogen.

R.Rex Parris, Mayor of the City of Lancaster, said, “Lancaster is building a robust hydrogen production capacity to enable regional decarbonisation.”

“We believe municipalities can lead the fight against climate change from the bottom up by unleashing businesses’ innovative capacities by removing barriers to market.”

Steve Meheen, Element Resources CEO, added, “The opportunity with the City of Lancaster is nothing less than a World Class Green Energy Centre serving the Western US and perhaps reaching into Asian markets as well.”

The facility will be less than 100 miles from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and supply end-users throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

The increased hydrogen production capacity in California will serve the growing demand for clean mobility fuels and clean energy for manufacturing.

The development of the project will also create about 250 jobs during the construction and 36 permanent ones.

California could meet its goal of 100 hydrogen refuelling stations by the end of this year, according to an annual report by the California Air Resources Board (CARB)

CARB also states California is expected to have more than 176 open retail hydrogen stations by 2026 which would be enough fuelling capacity for around 250,000 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the state.

Read more: California could have 100 hydrogen stations by the end of 2023, says CARB