Rehlko and Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) announced at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo a supplier agreement wherein Toyota will provide its H₂-powered fuel cell modules to Rehlko, a global leader in energy resilience, for use in stationary power generator products.

The agreement pairs Rehlko's longstanding track record of delivering innovative energy solutions that improve life and provide independence, agility and security to mission-critical infrastructure, facilities and residences with Toyota's proven fuel cell technology.

"Toyota is excited to work with Rehlko on helping to build strong energy solutions using our proven, scalable fuel cell technology," said Thibaut de Barros Conti, general manager, Toyota Hydrogen Solutions. "Integrating Rehlko's systems with Toyota's fuel cell technology has the potential to yield cleaner, reliable and more sustainable energy that can scale based on the needs of customers and society and enable smart, energy-independent mobility for all."

Interest in alternative fuels, like H₂, has surged significantly for stationary applications, including both backup and primary uses. For operators especially focused on solutions that provide zero emissions at the point of use, Rehlko plans to integrate Toyota's fuel cell technology, which can be designed and manufactured to the same operational standards as conventional generators.

The fuel cell-based generation systems can be used to power facilities, such as data centers, warehouses and off-grid networks, as well as to help protect against weather conditions and grid overload – all while producing local emissions that consist of water and air.

"The 1-MW fuel cell generator represents a significant step forward in energy resilience for mission-critical customers. It delivers the same reliability, but helps customers meet their resilience goals by cutting local emissions to zero," said Charles Hunsucker, President, Power Systems at Rehlko. "This cutting-edge technology is ready for orders today."

Rehlko and Toyota's first collaboration was to develop and install a 100kW H₂ fuel cell power generation system to reinforce and back up the electrical infrastructure and secondary power generation at Klickitat Valley Health, a hospital in rural Washington State. Building on the success of this project, Rehlko and Toyota have developed and engineered a commercialized 1MW system to meet the demand for 1MW or more, with Rehlko developing the overall system and Toyota supplying fuel cell technology.

Toyota's research and development with H₂ fuel cell technology spans more than 30 years, from creating the Toyota Mirai, one of the world's first mass-market passenger fuel cell electric vehicles, to scaling fuel cell technology for other applications. Toyota has put the technology through its paces from development and testing in conditions colder than -20° Fahrenheit to nearly 150° in Death Valley. Toyota maintains an engineering, product planning and business operations headquarters – NA H2HQ – in Southern California and fuel cell kit assembly in Georgetown, Kentucky.