Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases (CE&IG) Group and SunLine Transit Agency recently celebrated the opening of a new liquid-hydrogen-based fueling station in Thousand Palms, California. This transit fueling station represents an expansion of California’s hydrogen infrastructure, bringing a cleaner, more efficient fueling solution to the region. Today, the hydrogen station can fuel SunLine’s current fleet of 32 hydrogen fuel cell buses; that number will grow as more of SunLines’s fleet transitions to zero emissions.
“Partnering with SunLine Transit Agency supports critical infrastructure needed in California to advance the hydrogen economy,” says Adrian Ridge, president and CEO of Nikkiso CE&IG. “With Nikkiso’s experience and advanced equipment, SunLine’s station will be considered the gold standard for modern hydrogen fueling station design, providing a blueprint for other transit hubs transitioning to or adding hydrogen fueling options.”
“This project is an expansion of our existing partnership with SunLine that began a few years ago when we completed a compressed natural gas station in Thousand Palms,” adds Mike Mackey, president of Nikkiso CE&IG Fueling and Solutions. “Through that project we forged a strong relationship that led to the opportunity of delivering SunLine’s new hydrogen station. We look forward to working together for years to come as they fully transition to a zero-emissions fleet.”
Nikkiso’s hydrogen fueling stations provide 24/7 hydrogen fueling capability to help keep SunLine’s buses in the Coachella Valley region on schedule. The facility’s dual-hose dispensers meet H35 and H70 fueling protocols and can fuel a bus in less than 10 minutes. The station also can accommodate unlimited back-to-back fueling.
“As the only public transportation provider in the Coachella Valley region, we are committed to bringing zero-emission transportation to the three million passengers we serve annually,” says Mona Babauta, CEO/general manager at SunLine. “This station represents a significant milestone on our journey to convert our entire fleet to hydrogen fuel cell buses for the benefit of our customers, our community and the planet.”
SunLine plans to open a third dual-hose dispensing unit for public use in the next few weeks, making clean hydrogen fuel accessible to private and commercial vehicles in the region and driving further adoption of low-carbon technologies. The station’s location between Los Angeles and Phoenix lends itself to long-distance routes, allowing cars and long-haul trucks and buses traveling through the region to expand their current range.
