Utility Global, a U.S.-based leader in economic industrial decarbonization through innovative H2 solutions, and Symbio North America Corporation (Symbio), part of Symbio group, Europe’s largest fuel cell technology developer and manufacturer, with HQ in France, announced that Symbio has received approval from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) for a Clean Fuels Fund grant to design, develop, and demonstrate a H2 fuel cell refuse collection vehicle in the South Coast Air Basin. Utility will manage and oversee the H2 fueling logistics and operations throughout the one-year demonstration.

Utility and Symbio have also entered into a strategic alliance to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission, H2-powered refuse trucks in North America.

This collaboration tackles two major challenges facing the refuse collection sector:

• High performing zero-emission vehicle: Developing a H2-electric refuse truck powered by Symbio’s advanced fuel cell technology that will exceed the duty cycle and payload of available battery-electric vehicles while meeting operational expectations of refuse haulers.
• Fuel economics: Delivering economic, reliable, low-to-negative carbon intensity H2 fuel from water, without electricity, using biogas (e.g., landfill gas) in Utility’s H2Gen system – a core enabler of Utility’s mission to drive economic decarbonization across heavy industries.

Together, Utility and Symbio will deliver an integrated, cost-effective solution that combines economic H2 supply with best-in-class vehicle performance and durability.

As part of the South Coast AQMD-funded demonstration, initial vehicle trials will begin in Southern California in collaboration with WM, CR&R, and the Cities of Los Angeles and Riverside in the first half of 2026. The Clean Energy Institute at the University of California, Irvine will collect and analyze operational and performance data throughout the demonstration period to help validate the technology for future commercial scale-up.

“We support projects like this that combine advanced vehicle technology with innovative clean H2 solutions,” said Wayne Nastri, South Coast AQMD’s Executive Officer. “This strategic collaboration represents a meaningful step toward reducing emissions in communities across South Coast Air Basin.”

“This alliance is about turning waste into real, scalable decarbonization,” stated Parker Meeks, CEO of Utility. “By pairing Utility’s H2Gen technology – which produces economic, low-carbon H2 from water without electricity by utilizing the electrochemical energy in biogases such as landfill gas – alongside Symbio’s proven fuel cell systems, we can deliver a zero-emission H2-electric refuse truck solution that matches diesel performance. This alliance embodies our mission of enabling economic industrial decarbonization through practical, cost-effective solutions.”

Jean-Baptiste Lucas, Symbio CEO, added, “Joining forces with Utility Global enables us to expand the reach of our fuel cell technology while supporting the growing need for sustainable transport solutions in the waste management sector.”

This non-exclusive Strategic Alliance is already effective while allowing both parties to pursue additional partnerships to further accelerate market adoption of H2-electric refuse vehicles and associated scale up of decentralized H2 supply and infrastructure.