Loop Energy says new hydrogen fuel cell more efficient than diesel engine

Source: Nick Carey | · THE GLOBE AND MAIL · | September 18, 2022

Source: A hydrogen fuel cell range extender at Loop Energy Inc. in Burnaby, B.C., on Feb. 8, 2021.DARRYL DYCK/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Hydrogen fuel cell maker Loop Energy LPEN-T said on Sunday that its latest cell system can deliver better fuel economy than a diesel engine at current price levels.

The Burnaby, British Columbia-based company said that – based on a pan-European diesel cost of $1.91 per liter on Sept. 5 and $10 per kg of hydrogen – a truck could travel just over 111 miles (179 km) on $100 worth of fuel using its new S1200 hydrogen fuel cell system versus a little over 109 miles (about 175 km) for an equivalent diesel truck.

As the auto industry makes the shift to zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs), big-freight truck makers like Daimler Truck and Volvo are investing heavily in hydrogen fuel cells to haul freight long distances because batteries weigh too much to make electric trucks viable.

Hydrogen fuel cells run hydrogen through a catalyst that produces energy and heat to power a small battery that drives the truck – the only emission from these cells is water.