MI: Flint MTA gets $11M to expand hydrogen vehicle fleet, fueling station

Flint’s Mass Transportation Authority will receive $11 million to help add to its fleet of fuel-cell buses and to expand its hydrogen production facility.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the investment and others tied to a clean hydrogen hub project in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 20, saying the Michigan-backed Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) has received a total of $22.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Whitmer’s announcement said the funding will advance the next phase of planning and development of regional supply chains for the production, distribution and use of hydrogen trucks and heavy-duty vehicles.

The governor visited Flint in April when MTA announced it was replacing its last two diesel buses with a pair of new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, and Chief Executive Officer Ed Benning said the agency has continued to pursue expansion of its hydrogen operations since that time.

“We’ve been after these funds to expand the station,” Benning said on Thursday, Nov. 21. “In my opinion, it’s (the best fueling) option.”

MTA opened its alternative fuel facility in Grand Blanc Township and introduced riders to its first hydrogen fuel cell bus more than a decade ago.

It’s increased its hydrogen bus fleet to five, Benning said, and MTA plans to add an additional hydrogen bus with the funding it’s receiving, which includes matching funds from the state.

“The Mass Transportation Authority is committed to the expansion of its zero-emission hydrogen fleet,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with the ( Midwest Alliance) initiative, which will provide our community with healthier, more sustainable public transportation and further establish Flint as a leader in environmental stewardship and innovation.”

In addition to hydrogen buses, MTA also operates vehicles powered by electricity, compressed natural gas and propane.

Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that already powers some cars, trucks, buses, and trains. A shortage of fueling stations, however, has limited its appeal.

Fuel cells do not burn the fuel they use, but combine hydrogen with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. The vehicles emit only water vapor, MTA officials have said.

In addition to the funding for MTA’s fueling station, Whitmer announced funding for work on the creation of a hydrogen “Truck Stop of the Future” in Detroit and a clean hydrogen production facility in Ypsilanti.

“Today, Michigan won an investment to support the MachH2 hydrogen hub project, which will create 12,000 jobs and shore up our state’s leadership in this emerging sector,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Thanks to our state legislature, congressional delegation, and leading, cutting-edge companies, Michigan will lead the future of clean energy and advanced manufacturing.”

In October 2023, Whitmer announced that MachH2 was one of only seven projects selected by DOE to usher in the next generation of clean energy and clean manufacturing across the Midwest. The $22.2 million investment announced this week is for first-phase work, which includes planning, design, development, and community and labor engagement activities for the next 12 to 18 months.

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