Western U.S. Group Forms Alliance to Advance Hydrogen Propulsion

Advocates of hydrogen propulsion for multiple modes of transportation, including aircraft, this week established a new group to advocate for more rapid development and deployment of the technology in the western U.S. Founding members of the Western States Hydrogen Alliance (WSHA) include hydrogen technology pioneers such as storage specialist The Protium Company and Korean automotive group Hyundai, which in early 2020 confirmed plans to develop an eVTOL aircraft.

WSHA also wants to advance hydrogen fuel cell use for trucks, buses, trains, ships, and off-road vehicles. It intends to engage with state and federal government agencies to build an alliance of stakeholders, and the group has already received support from several members of Congress.

Protium is working on cryogenic hydrogen tanks for aviation applications. Hyundai’s planned S-A1 eVTOL aircraft is set to be powered by electric batteries, but the group appears to be interested in hydrogen for ground transportation.

Other founding members of WSHA include Ballard Power Systems, El Dorado National, Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine, and Plug Power.