In late February, Charlottesville City Council approved a plan recommended by staff to pursue both battery electric and hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles as potential ways to power future Charlottesville Area Transit buses.
Council went ahead with the idea to allow staff to further develop the hydrogen approach despite concerns that the technology may not be far enough along to be ready in time for 2027.
Last week, a Danish company called Topsoe announced they will take advantage of federal tax credits to invest in a new factory in Chesterfield County.
“The factory will manufacture advanced, energy efficient Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC) that are essential to the efficient production of clean hydrogen and derivatives like eAmmonia and eMethanol,” reads an April 19 press release.
The Inflation Reduction Act created the opportunity for the tax credits, which the release said will catalyze a $400 million investment from Topsoe. The company still needs to make a final decision. There are a lot of details in the press release about what the factory will do.
The director of Charlottesville’s Office of Sustainability will be tracking the development of the project.
“We have been anticipating development of a clean hydrogen market and it is exciting to hear about this factory coming to Virginia, and to a nearby location,” said Kristel Riddervold. “It’s also exciting to see the Inflation Reduction Act at work by driving the establishment of clean energy production in the Commonwealth.”Meanwhile, Charlottesville continues to conduct research of its own according to this entry in City Manager Sam Sanders’ report for Monday’s City Council meeting.
“CAT is hosting an alternative fuels fact finding site visit to Champaign Urbana, Illinois to learn more about the deployment of electric, hydrogen, and [Compressed Natural Gas] buses as well as the infrastructure to support it,” Sanders wrote. “Invited to attend will include council members, key CAT staff, county leadership, a consulting team, as well as media and members of the environmental advocacy community.”
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