Congratulations to Dr. Blekhman for achieving a significant milestone for California State University, Los Angeles! Dr. Blekhman submitted an application to DOT's Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Opportunity and was successfully awarded a $7.1 million grant.

The objective of this project is to transform the California State University Los Angeles (Cal State LA) Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility (HRFF) into a cutting-edge, high-capacity, and efficient multi-modal light- to heavy-duty vehicle hydrogen fueling and innovation station with on-site renewable generation from electrolysis and methanol reformation. Strategically located on the northern tip of HWY 710 while intersecting HWY10, the publicly accessible facility will service multiple public customers and fleets, including the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, through its multi-modal capability. The upgraded Cal State LA station aims to become the benchmark hydrogen fueling station, serving as a model for the industry.

Being one of the first few in the world with 12 years of exceptional service, the current HRFF requires an upgrade to facilitate long-term operation and innovation. The project will involve re-engineering and reconstructing the station, showcasing our commitment to safety, state-of-the-art hydrogen technology, and performance research that can advance the industry. The revamped station will feature multi-source hydrogen production, increased storage capacity, improved storage and high-pressure buffer storage integration for enhanced performance, an upgraded electrolyzer, a new chiller, and a new dispenser. The project is shovel-ready to proceed on the existing station footprint and qualifies for both the Community and Corridor Programs.

Designated as a minority-serving institution, Cal State LA embraces the Justice40 Initiative that supports its role of transforming the disadvantaged communities of East Los Angeles and beyond. In this environment, the Cal State LA HRFF has played a vital role in educating professionals, government officials, and students about hydrogen infrastructure and technology by hosting tours to over 10,000 visitors. Among them, an impressive 85% have been students, demonstrating the facility's significant impact on the education and awareness of the next generation. In addition to educational tours, the HRFF will continue to engage with the community through various partnerships and collaborations with programs such as Clean Cities Long Beach and UNITELA, which further expands the outreach and involvement with the community.

Furthermore, this project will reinforce Cal State LA as a premier hydrogen talent training center through the Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility internship program with focus on developing the next generation engineering workforce. It will also assist in transferring the knowledge to fuel/cell and hydrogen training programs at community colleges and other programs. As a designated minority serving institution for 28,000 students, Cal State LA workforce project attract students from disadvantaged, low-income communities in its service area. This work has already been initiated through $500K workforce pilot funding in partnership with Cerritos Community College.

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