Hydrogen equipment project

Mitsui E&S Machinery Co. Ltd. (MES-M) and Paceco Corp are spearheading a local production and consumption hydrogen model at the Port of Los Angeles.

This project will be executed in collaboration with Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. Hino Motors, Ltd. and Hino Motor Manufacturing USA Inc. The anticipated project term is from February 2022 to March 2026.

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The partners were awarded a grant by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in December 2021, which is part of an overall project encompassing a demonstration of the hydrogen supply chain.

This includes everything from local production of clean hydrogen to the consumption point of port container handling equipment and drayage trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.

This model goes alongside with the LA Port Authority and the Long Beach Port Authority, which, guided by their green port policies, have established a Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) to achieve zero gas emissions from port equipment by 2030.

The ports agree that switching to a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell power source will significantly contribute to reduced emissions.

To this end, in September 2021, MES-M initiated a hydrogen fuel cell powered zero emission (ZE) Transtainer RTG development project funded by a grant from NEDO titled ’Collaborative Industry-Academia-Government R&D Project for Solving Common Challenges Toward Dramatically Expanded Use of Fuel Cells and Related Equipment, theme Ⅲ, Technology Development for Diversifying Fuel Cell Use.’

As part of the overall project, the ZE Transtainer RTG will be delivered to a terminal in the Port of Los Angeles for feasibility testing in actual operation in the second quarter of 2024. This will be the world’s first demonstration to operate hydrogen fuel cell powered cargo handling equipment incorporating ZE Transtainer crane and drayage trucks, fueled by local clean hydrogen production and supply facilities. The demonstration will span three years.

Paceco-Mitsui NZE (near-zero-emission) Transtainer RTGs are commercially available today and designed with a small diesel engine genset that can be easily converted to hydrogen power as hydrogen infrastructure expands to ports.