French oil major Total has joined a new alliance of companies formed to drive the development of a supply chain for hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles in the commercial transport sector.

The Hyzon Zero Carbon Alliance was launched this week by New York-based hydrogen commercial vehicle startup Hyzon Motors, in which Total took a stake last year.

The other members of the alliance are Ark Energy, a subsidiary of Korea Zinc; insurance and investment group Axa; Bank of America; New Zealand-based green hydrogen specialist Hiringa Energy; Saudi industrial conglomerate Modern Group; Saudi technology hub Neom; US biofuels company Raven SR; and US carbon emissions utilisation technology company ReCarbon.

"We are convinced that hydrogen is a mobility solution of the future" Wilson, Total

“At Total, we are convinced that hydrogen is a mobility solution of the future,” says John Wilson, vice president of gas mobility at Total’s marketing and services branch. “That is why Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures invested in Hyzon Motors and we are committed to developing hydrogen stations for trucks in Europe.”

The alliance will focus on establishing hydrogen-powered fleets. “We will work with partners to expand the deployment of zero-emission hydrogen fuel-cell-powered heavy vehicles globally and continue leading the hydrogen transition,” says Hyzon chairman and co-founder George Gu.

Hyzon is manufacturing 15 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for delivery to the municipality of Groningen in the Netherlands. The order consists of ten medium and heavy-duty municipality trucks—including water, refuse, hooklift crane and delivery trucks, and vans. Delivery of the first vehicles is expected in the third quarter of 2021. The remaining vehicles are expected to be shipped by the end of 2021.

Hyzon is planning to seek a public listing list later this year via a merger with special purpose acquisition company Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation.

 

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Author: Stuart Penson