A promising technology for fighting climate change and achieving Hawaii’s carbon neutrality goals has been quietly flying under the radar. But that may change. Hydrogen fuel cells are a low-carbon energy source that has many benefits for Hawaii and may soon get a big boost from the federal government.
Fuel cell vehicles are best known for emitting nothing but water. No planet-warming carbon dioxide. And no smog-forming exhaust.
Filling up a car with hydrogen is not much different from filling up with gas. You may have driven by Oahu’s public hydrogen fueling station in Mapunapuna without noticing it. I’m a proud owner of a Toyota Mirai, a hydrogen-powered sedan that operates like a regular car. It has a range of over 400 miles. Filling up takes me about five minutes — a big time-saver compared to charging an electric vehicle.
Why is hydrogen such a good fit for Hawaii? Here are four of the biggest reasons.
First, it’s a fuel that we could produce locally, from multiple sources, including water and biomass. Given our geographic isolation, that would be a huge plus for residents, who are used to paying more at the pump for gas than most mainlanders.
Second, hydrogen is transportable. For example, we could use geothermal energy to transform water into hydrogen for use on Oahu. In contrast, electricity is difficult to transport. Hydrogen could even become an export from Hawaii to other countries.
Third, it will help diversify our energy sources. A mix of geothermal, solar, wind and hydrogen will help Hawaii reach our energy goals, despite our isolated location.
Lastly, hydrogen is a good fit for heavy-duty vehicles, like trucks, forklifts and buses. The long range and short refueling time are well suited for transporting heavy loads across the islands’ steep terrain. Unlike electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles only require small batteries to achieve a long range, saving room for cargo and passengers.
On the Big Island, officials replaced gas-powered buses with hydrogen buses to traverse the lengthy Saddle Road route — where electric buses struggled. Hawaii’s large military presence would also benefit from hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Hawaii’s unique profile is likely one of the reasons the federal government is considering investing up to $1 billion in our hydrogen economy as part of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (H2Hub). Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy qualified our state’s application for H2Hub for the second round of consideration in this highly competitive program. Out of 79 original applicants, we are one of 33 who remain in the running for the final six or seven spots.
If Hawaii’s application is successful, the funds will be used to develop the state’s hydrogen production and distribution facilities — making this clean fuel more available and more practical.
Gov. Josh Green’s administration has fully embraced hydrogen and our state’s H2Hub application. It’s easy to see why. Hydrogen holds the promise of complete decarbonization and lower energy costs for Hawaii’s residents.
We need a mix of renewable energy sources and options that fit multiple needs. Together with solar, wind and geothermal energy, hydrogen could play a key role in helping us meet our state’s goal for 70% of our energy to be sourced from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2045.
Peter Dames is executive vice president of Servco Pacific, which owns a group of automotive businesses and owns/operates Oahu’s first publicly accessible hydrogen station in Mapunapuna.
