Report Describes Joint Opportunities for Natural Gas and Hydrogen Vehicles

Sandia National Laboratories, supported by the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies and Fuel Cell Technologies Offices, recently released the workshop report “Transitioning the Transportation Sector: Exploring the Intersection of Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Natural Gas Vehicles.” Held in September 2014, the workshop considered common opportunities and challenges in expanding the use of hydrogen and natural gas as transportation fuels. Organized by Sandia, the American Gas Association and Toyota, the workshop included participants from the auto industry, freight delivery fleets, gas suppliers, gas storage developers, utilities, academia, industry associations, national laboratories, and federal and state governments. Participants identified several areas where companies can better capitalize on synergies between the two fuels.

Stakeholders identified substantial potential for co-locating natural gas and hydrogen stations rather than building them separately. Because hydrogen production can use natural gas as a feedstock, selling both fuels could also take advantage of common supply chains. Similarly, the workshop report finds that if companies shift away from separate approaches and towards using common equipment, similar pressures, and the same manufacturing processes, they could enable economies of scale for storage equipment and handling. Common equipment could further improve the business case for co-locating infrastructure, driving down the costs and expanding the market for both fuels.

A copy of the full report is available here.