Renewable fuels company Raven SR is partnering with Chevron New Energies, a division of energy firm Chevron, and automotive company Hyzon Motors to commercialize a green waste-to-hydrogen production facility in Richmond, California.
The facility, which is aimed at supplying hydrogen fuel to transportation markets in Northern California, will be owned by a newly established company called Raven SR S1. Chevron will own a 50-percent equity stake in Raven SR S1, while Raven SR will hold a 30-percent stake and Hyzon the remaining 20 percent.
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Raven SR will serve as the operator of the facility, which is expected to come online in the first quarter of 2024. The facility will use a non-combustion Steam/CO2 Reforming process to produce up to 2,400 metric-tons per year of renewable hydrogen, while diverting up to 99 wet tons of green and food waste per day from Republic Services’ West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill.
According to the company, diversion of this organic waste will help avoid up to 7,200 metric-tons per year of CO2 emissions from the landfill and help fulfil California’s SB 1383 mandates. The Raven SR technology does not require fresh water as a feedstock and uses less than half the energy of electrolysis, the company notes.
The facility will also generate at least 60% of its own electricity by upgrading landfill gas electric generators, which will help reduce both current air emissions and the need for grid power for its non-combustion process.
“This facility will be the first hydrogen production plant in the world to reduce greenhouse gases, including critically important short-lived climate pollutants, through its process and its product," Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven, said. "By removing waste from the landfill, it will help reduce methane emissions.”
“Not only will the greater Richmond community benefit from reduced emissions, investments, and jobs, it will also see economic benefits as local gas stations have a consistent supply of clean, zero-carbon hydrogen fuel for fuel cell vehicles,” Murdock added.
The hydrogen will be marketed by Chevron in Bay Area and Northern California fueling stations, while Hyzon plans to provide refueling for hydrogen fuel cell trucks at a hydrogen hub in Richmond.
“The Richmond hub enables a local, renewable hydrogen ecosystem by aligning hydrogen production, refueling infrastructure and vehicle availability geographically and technologically," said Parker Meeks, Hyzon president and interim CEO. "This alignment is expected to reduce total costs to fleet operators, accelerating the transition to zero-emissions vehicles and global decarbonisation. Through Hyzon’s partnership with Raven, hydrogen supply can be synchronized with the demand for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.”
Headquartered in Wyoming, Raven SR transforms biomass, mixed municipal solid waste, bio-solids, sewage, medical waste, and natural or biogas into renewable fuels. Chevron New Energies is a division of Chevron U.S.A., a subsidiary of Chevron. Hyzon is a global supplier in fuel cell electric mobility, with U.S. operations in the Rochester, Chicago and Detroit areas, and international operations in the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and China.
