Clean Energy Fuels Corp contracted Nikkiso to supply the required pumps and vaporisers, design components, a boil-off gas compressor, and a liquid hydrogen offload pump designed to mitigate boil-off gas.
While liquid hydrogen could reduce hydrogen station delivery costs, high boil-off rates can undermine economics. A Taylor Wharton representative previously warned that boil-off losses ranging from 10% to 50% threaten hydrogen’s commercial case.
However, Mike Mackey, President of Fuelling Solutions at Nikkiso CE&IG, insisted the company is “one of the first and few with the cryogenics expertise to manage the volume of liquid hydrogen needed to power full fleets of buses.”
Nikkiso also announced it would build a hydrogen trailer and fuelling station for West Air in Long Beach, designed to reduce boil-off gas losses, earlier this year.
To develop the facility, Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) contracted Clean Energy. The site is expected to be operational in 2026.
Hydrogen will be provided to RTA’s new fleet of 40 hydrogen-powered fuel cell buses. The transport operator plans to grow its hydrogen fleet to more than 100 vehicles over the next 10 years.
Boil-off losses are a ‘threat’ to hydrogen refuelling’s commercial case: Taylor Wharton
As hydrogen refuelling infrastructure developers look to make progress, Taylor Wharton has warned that boil-off losses ranging from 10% to 50% continue to threaten hydrogen’s commercial case.
Liquid hydrogen is often considered one of the most effective ways to transport hydrogen due to its higher energy density compared to compressed hydrogen. Most refuelling stations, especially in US, use liquid hydrogen.
However, boil-off occurs when liquid hydrogen warms above -253ºC and reverts to gas and can lead to losses across the value chain from production to use. This is in addition to high energy consumption of liquefying hydrogen.
“Hydrogen fuelling stations today face significant boil-off losses ranging from 10% to as much as 50%,” Aaron Villarreal, Director of Sales & Global Hydrogen at Taylor Wharton explained.
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