Californian bus operator looks to limit LH2 boil-off at Bakersfield station

Californian transport operator Golden Empire Transit District (Get Bus) has commissioned GenH2 to deliver a 68,000-litre “zero-loss” liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage system, addressing 40% boil-off losses that have beset its hydrogen refuelling station.

Get Bus, which operates 14 hydrogen fuel cell buses in Bakersfield, commissioned GenH2, alongside alternative refuelling EPC firm Fastech, to design, build, and install the solution at the facility it has operated since 2021.

The system will see a Taylor-Wharton-made LH2 storage tank installed at the Bakersfield site, which features GenH2’s heat lift technology, which it claims can eliminate LH2 boil-off losses.

Boil-off occurs when LH2 warms above -253ºC and reverts to gas. This can lead to losses across the value chain from production to use.

GenH2 says its controlled storage technology prevents boil-off by actively removing heat, deploying over 1,000 watts of cryogenic refrigeration, rather than relying on passive insulation.

A construction timeline and the value of the contract have not been disclosed.

Greg Gosnell, CEO of GenH2, said boil-off losses were one of the biggest barriers to scaling LH2 infrastructure.

“GenH2’s ability to eliminate boil-off losses will transform the industry and set a new standard for refuelling operations,” he claimed.

The Bakersfield installation isn’t likely to be the first station to deploy the technology. Alongside Hyroad Energy and Bosch Rexroth, GenH2 is due to bring the US’s first “zero-loss” LH2 station in .

While LH2 offers higher energy density than gaseous systems for hydrogen transport, potentially reducing logistics costs, it introduces issues like efficiency losses, high costs, and infrastructure complexity.

The former station boss of now-bankrupt Nikola previously told H2 View that it was experiencing regular boil-off losses of , wasting thousands of dollars worth of fuel.