LNK Projects Class 8 Hydrogen Retrofit Could Lower Total Cost Below Diesel

LNK Energies says its hydrogen system could help existing heavy-duty trucks achieve a lower total cost of ownership than diesel, while reducing the need for dedicated hydrogen compression and fueling infrastructure.

LNK Chief Technology Officer Alexis Huynh said the technology could reduce a Class 8 truck’s total cost of ownership by 13% versus diesel. The company says its projections exclude government subsidies.

LNK’s system uses liquid organic hydrogen carriers, which store hydrogen chemically in a liquid carrier rather than as molecular hydrogen. The carrier can be held in a traditional fuel tank and dispensed through pumps similar to those used for diesel.

An onboard reactor releases the hydrogen as needed. LNK says it has reduced the equipment from roughly the size of a shipping container to about the size of a mini fridge, allowing it to fit on a truck and avoid compressing hydrogen to more than 11,000 psi, or 800 bar.

The released hydrogen can power a modified internal-combustion engine. The system uses waste heat from the engine to help power the onboard reactor. Truck operators could also use fuel cells to convert hydrogen into electricity for electric motors.

LNK co-founder and CEO Sayandeep Biswas said, “We’re eliminating the expensive compression step.”

The startup says it could undercut diesel at a fuel price of $6.50 per gallon after producing 50 to 100 trucks. The vehicles would cost more upfront but are projected to have lower operating costs under the company’s assumptions.

Biswas and LNK Chief Technology Officer Alexis Huynh have a demonstration reactor operating in a laboratory system that powers a lawnmower engine. They plan to install a larger reactor in a commercial truck within 18 months.

LNK is scheduled to present the technology in San Francisco during TechCrunch Disrupt, which runs Oct. 13-15.

The proposal comes as U.S. diesel prices remain near record levels, increasing cost pressure for trucking, freight and agriculture businesses.