Washington Bus Depot to Make Carbon-Free Fuel
A groundbreaking bus depot near Washington, D.C. is on the verge of revolutionising its operations by generating its own fuel with zero emissions to power its public bus fleet. Montgomery County officials in Maryland recently unveiled their plans to install expansive arrays of solar panels and batteries at one of their primary transit centers. This innovative technology will supply clean electricity to operate an electrolyser, which divides water into oxygen and hydrogen, thereby producing enough energy to refuel 13 new fuel-cell buses.
Montgomery County is at the forefront of the nation's endeavor to adopt cleaner vehicle fleets, an integral part of the local government's broader initiative to reduce its contribution to global warming. The county currently boasts the largest deployment of battery-electric school buses in the United States and already operates over a dozen battery-powered transit buses. Now, the county is also embracing hydrogen fuel as it seeks to address the environmental impact of more challenging vehicle types, including long-distance buses and heavy-duty equipment.
The Maryland project, slated to commence construction later this year, will be the first depot on the U.S. East Coast to produce its own environmentally-friendly hydrogen. While a few bus depots in California and Illinois also employ electrolysers, Montgomery County's setup will be the only one exclusively powered by clean energy generated onsite. This distinction comes from AlphaStruxure, the developer behind the project, which is a joint venture between Schneider Electric and Carlyle Group.
The introduction of the electrolyser in Rockville, Maryland will help Montgomery County overcome a significant hurdle faced by hydrogen-powered vehicles: the challenge of sourcing sufficient clean fuel to keep the buses running. However, the project offers more than just a solution to this problem. The new system will also serve as a microgrid capable of operating during extended grid outages or emergency situations.
The deployment of 5 megawatts of rooftop and canopy solar arrays will be connected to a new 2-megawatt/7.35-megawatt-hour battery storage system, alongside microgrid control systems and existing backup generators. This setup will provide 4.5 megawatts of electric charging capacity while also supplying emergency power to the depot's five buildings.
As a result, Montgomery County's transit agency, which serves approximately 10 million riders annually, will be able to continue operating zero-emissions buses even during periods of grid isolation. Eventually, the facility is expected to accommodate over 200 battery- and hydrogen-powered vehicles, which is roughly half the size of the county's existing transit fleet.
"Public transit facilities need to be not only environmentally friendly but also reliable," stated Annette Clayton, CEO of Schneider Electric North America, during a recent press call. She added that the project sets a new benchmark for sustainable and resilient transit infrastructure.
This announcement comes just months after AlphaStruxure and Montgomery County launched a solar-powered microgrid at a smart bus depot in Silver Springs, located around 20 miles south of Rockville. The 6.5-megawatt system, which does not include an electrolyser, aims to provide cost-effective, self-generated energy for charging battery-powered buses.
In both cases, AlphaStruxure is financing the projects without any upfront cost to the local government. Rather than owning the equipment or managing its maintenance, the county will make monthly "energy-as-a-service" payments to AlphaStruxure over 25-year contracts. County officials likened this arrangement to long-term leases that homeowners sign with residential rooftop solar installers.
The microgrid combined with an electrolyser project in Rockville represents a significant component of Montgomery County's ambitious efforts to combat greenhouse gas emissions. The county's Climate Action Plan sets forth ambitious targets, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and achieve complete decarbonization by 2035, based on 2005 emission levels.
During the press call, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) emphasised the critical role of transitioning to electrified fleets in achieving these goals. Currently, transportation, both public and private, accounts for over 40 percent of the county's annual emissions.