‘Hydrogen hub’ planned for test track in Michigan

A modular hydrogen production system is being planned for the American Center for Mobility near Detroit as the vehicle test track looks to adapt its vision to the needs of its customers and the market.

Albuquerque, N.M.-based BayoTech Inc. aims to open a “hydrogen hub” at the center by mid-2023 after signing a letter of intent for a long-term lease and working through permitting with Ypsilanti Township, Mich., said Catharine Reid, chief marketing officer of BayoTech.

Once approved, the company would install prefab hydrogen units capable of pumping out 1,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day, or enough to fill up 200 hydrogen vehicles.

It marks BayoTech’s entrance into the market and is the first hydrogen project of its kind in Michigan as the fuel technology, often overshadowed by electrification, quietly gains steam in the heavy transportation sector.

“There’s a huge opportunity that hydrogen can play as a low-carbon fuel for helping with the energy transition,” said Adam Penque, senior vice president of sales and BayoGaaS Hydrogen Hub Development.

American Center for Mobility CEO Reuben Sarkar said he sees the planned new tenant as an opportunity to diversify ACM’s offerings. Founded in 2018, the center was envisioned as the nerve center for autonomous vehicle testing but struggled to stay relevant in a rapidly changing automotive industry.

“We’re going through our own resetting of our strategic plan,” Sarkar said. “Just listening to the other kinds of work that people need to get done, looking at the assets that we have and kind of trying to see where the trends are going in electrification and hydrogen, we broadened our lens to be more receptive to those kinds of activities.”

— Kurt Nagl, Crain’s Detroit Business