The Renewable Hydrogen Fuel Cell Collaborative (RHFCC) and The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research (CAR) announced the debut of central Ohio’s first hydrogen refueling station. Located on Ohio State’s campus, the refueling station is designed to service the first hydrogen fuel cell bus in operation as part of the university’s Campus Area Bus Service (CABS), a free transit service for students, faculty and staff.

With clean water as their only emission, hydrogen fuel cell buses are environmentally friendly, releasing zero pollutants or greenhouse gasses into the air. They’re also quiet, reducing noise pollution, can travel long, cost-effective shifts before being refueled, and are twice as efficient as their diesel counterparts, eliminating the need for 9,000 gallons of fuel over the lifetime of the vehicle, according to RHFCC officials.

“The hydrogen fuel cell bus is clean, easy to drive and provides a smooth ride, and the refueling station at CAR makes the bus easy to operate and integrate into our fleet,” said Beth A. Snoke, director, Transportation & Traffic Management.

Millennium Reign Energy LCC (MRE), an alternative fuel production company located in Dayton, Ohio, manufactured the fueling station, which produces up 12 kg of hydrogen per day.

The Renewable Hydrogen Fuel Cell Collaborative (RHFCC) is a regional ambassador for the advancement and adoption of hydrogen-powered, zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure in the Midwest. The RHFCC also operates the Midwest Hydrogen Center of Excellence to support the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in public transit throughout the region. Established in 2016, the RHFCC operates out of The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research.