Accelerate the layout of the hydrogen fuel cell track! GM plans to develop hydrogen-fueled mobile power generation equipment

Financial Associated Press (Shanghai, editor Huang Junzhi) news, January 19 (Wednesday), local time, General Motors said that it plans to expand the hydrogen fuel cell business beyond the car, for construction sites, music festivals, data centers and the military to provide hydrogen generators.

GM executives said the widespread use of hydrogen fuel cells will enable GM to leverage and expand existing hydrogen fuel investments and improve technology. The company plans to use its Hydrotec brand of hydrogen fuel cells to manufacture mobile power generation equipment.

"Think about places that don't have permanent power generation facilities, but need clean energy," Charlie Freese, executive director of GM Hydrotec's business, said in an interview, "Hydrotec power generation equipment can be quickly deployed for disaster relief, or it can provide backup for regional grids that are experiencing continuous power outages." ”

Hydrogen fuel cells – which use compressed hydrogen as fuel and release only water vapor – have been developed for decades. GM has condensed its Hydrotec system into a "power cube, which includes 300 separate hydrogen fuel cells. These "cubes" can then be deployed in a variety of applications, including mobile generators and temporary electric vehicle chargers.

GM is planning to supply generators of various sizes for a variety of uses. Depending on the size and usage, the power of each device will range from 60 kW to 600 kW. They will also use different numbers of Hydrotec "power cubes". For example, the company's power bank generator will rely on one power cube, while the Empower fast charger will use eight cubes.

The company declined to disclose expected revenue from the new business and said the launch date and price of the generator would be announced at a later date. The hydrogen fuel cell system will be assembled by a joint venture between GM and Honda in Brownstown, Michigan. GM executives say Utah-based Renewable Innovations will build the generators and plan to start production next year.

Hydrogen, a fuel that separates water from oxygen through electricity, has long been seen by businesses and governments as a way to reduce carbon emissions. But most hydrogen is currently produced by electrolyzers powered by natural gas or other fossil fuels, which can only be called "gray hydrogen." Producing "green hydrogen" costs four times as much as renewables.

Freese said GM aims to increase the use of green hydrogen fuel and hopes costs will come down. He said the company also wants to work with infrastructure providers to install more local hydrogen production systems and reduce the need for expensive hydrogen transportation.