On Tuesday, HydroFleet announced it is investing nearly $33 million in Pooler to construct a hydrogen production and fueling station that will service environmentally friendly heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

HydroFleet, a national specialized hydrogen equipment and hydrogen fuel supplier, founded in 2016, is led by a management team with more than 40 years combined experience in the hydrogen industry. To date, HydroFleet has delivered more than 450,000 kgs of ready-to-use, gaseous hydrogen fuel to end user fleets.

“Pooler is an ideal location for HydroFleet’s facility due to the proximity to major interstates, the Port of Savannah, and prospective fleet customers,” said HydoFleet’s CEO Scott Moe. “We know customers want zero-emission fleets but have struggled to source the entire hydrogen ecosystem at a price that is competitive. Through strategic partnerships and proven, safe technology, HydroFleet solves this challenging industry problem. We look forward to partnering with Pooler to lead the clean energy transition to cost-effective, emission-free heavy truck fleets here in Georgia.”

Pooler Mayor Karen Williams applauded HyrdoFleet’s desire to locate in Pooler. “HydroFleet’s investment in Pooler marks an exciting advancement in sustainable innovation and economic growth. This facility will enhance our local economy while establishing Pooler as a leader in clean energy solutions. By utilizing safe, proven hydrogen technology, it will reduce emissions and noise pollution, helping create a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community."

Savannah Economic Development Authority President and CEO Trip Tollison added, “The advanced technology that HydroFleet employs to provide hydrogen for forklifts and heavy trucks is truly amazing and the trucks make hardly any noise, reducing noise pollution, and have zero emissions. They are a proven company with a proven track record, and we are excited to welcome them to Chatham County.”

More than 18,000 hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles are operating in the U.S., along with more than 570 hydrogen-powered buses and heavy trucks. Additionally, there are more than 80,000 hydrogen-powered forklifts in operation today. Companies including Amazon, Whirlpool and Walmart utilize hydrogen-powered forklift fleets.

The new facility will initially refuel seven to 14 trucks a day with future capacity reaching 50 trucks a day. In December 2024, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), in cooperation with Glovis America, announced it has deployed Hyundai XCIENT heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks for clean logistics operations. Initially, a total of 21 XCIENT trucks will be in operation.

In a press release at the time HMGMA CEO Oscar Kwon said, “At HMGMA, we are committed to creating sustainable transportation solutions. Our Hyundai XCIENT hydrogen fuel-cell trucks that support the Metaplant release zero emissions and offer a cleaner alternative to the traditional freight logistics methods used at other manufacturing facilities.”

Environmentally friendly, hydrogen trucks replace existing local diesel trucks with an exhaust-free solution and reduced noise. Replacing one diesel powered Class 8 heavy truck with a hydrogen fuel cell truck removes 400+ metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. At future capacity, the hydrogen-powered truck fleet serviced by this facility will remove 40,000+ metric tons of CO2 from the Savannah region a year.