Development and Demonstration of a Mobile Fuel Cell Generator (MFCG)

RockeTruck, Inc.

Recipient

Escondido, CA

Recipient Location

40th

Senate District

76th

Assembly District

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$2,097,553

Amount Spent

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Active

Project Status

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Project Update

Assembly of the first of two prototype generators was completed in March 2024. Since then, Generator #1 has undergone intermittent testing at RockeTruck's facilities and showcased at a workforce training event at California State University, Los Angeles in May 2024. Design and assembly of the second prototype generator progressed and is anticipated to be complete in the first quarter of 2025. Lab and field testing of both mobile renewable generators is planned for 2025 including at a microgrid facility owned by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) in the Anza Borrego desert.

The Issue

Today's mobile generators use fossil fuels to generate electricity, which produce greenhouse gasses and criteria pollutants that are harmful to communities using them. The project was driven by the need for clean renewable backup power solutions as an alternative to polluting fossil generators used during emergencies.

Project Innovation

The purpose of this Agreement is to fund development, testing, and evaluation of a new generator product RockeTruck will assemble in California and market commercially to meet growing needs for flexible backup power solutions. Each prototype generator uses a fuel cell rated for automobile use at 80 kW and can produce 50-60 kW of continuous power. The second generator has a larger battery pack than the first unit, and will be able to generate up to 120 kilowatts (kW) of power for durations of approximately one hour, combining 60 kW from hydrogen fuel cells and 60 kW from lithium-ion batteries.

Project Goals

Design and assemble two integrated Mobile Fuel Cell Generator prototypes capable of meeting project requirements

Demonstrate and validate two prototype MFCG generators through testing in both laboratories and real-world setting

Project Benefits

The MFCG will deliver significant energy efficiency and emissions reduction benefits by replacing fossil fuel generators. A typical diesel generator generates about 13 kWh of net electrical energy output per gallon of fuel, based on 40.7 kWh energy content per gallon and engine-generator operating efficiency of 32% (source: U.S. Energy Information Administration). Based on EPA data indicating that each gallon of diesel fuel produces 10.1 kg of CO2, assuming a use case of 2,000 hours/year at an average power output of 20 kW, one MFCG using “green” hydrogen will eliminate 31,077 kg of CO2 annually. Based on projected cumulative sales of 1,762 MFCG systems from 2025 through 2030, aggregate CO2 reductions from MFCG utilization could reach 54,758 metric tons per year by the end of 2030. In addition to CO2 reduction, the MFCG will eliminate production of criteria pollutants at the point of operation, reducing the exposure of people near the generator to carbon monoxide and particulate matter, while also reducing production of smog-creating oxides of nitrogen.

Environmental Sustainability

The MFCG project supports environmental sustainability by developing a mobile generator that can run on hydrogen, which can be sustainably produced with solar or other forms of renewable energy and which does not produce any emissions when converted to electric power with a fuel cell. This is a more sustainable alternative than mobile generators using diesel, propane, or other fossil fuels.

Energy Security

The MFCG project supports energy security by developing a mobile generator that can run on hydrogen, which can be sustainably produced with solar or other forms of renewable energy. This eliminates dependence on imports of fossil fuels and, more generally, reduces global demand for fossil fuels, which can reduce geopolitical tensions that adversely impact energy security.