The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have issued a solicitation for a hydrogen fuel cell disaster relief vehicle with a truck technology concept known as H2Rescue.

Recent fires in California and various hurricanes on the East Coast and in the Caribbean have prompted interest in specialty disaster and emergency relief vehicles. The H2Rescue, which will be a Class 5 or Class 6 truck, is a fuel cell/battery hybrid truck that first responders and the military can drive to disaster mitigation sites. It can provide enough hydrogen to provide power, heat, and potable water for up to 72 hours.

The solicitation to support this opportunity can provide up to nearly $1 million in federal funds and requires an equal match of industry contributions. The U.S. Army Corps is leading the solicitation, which includes support from DOE and the DoD. This demonstration will help identify hydrogen, fuel cell, and battery research and development gaps to ensure the technology not only meets the needs, but also provides additional value to the emergency management field.