(PRNewswire) – The City of Lancaster, California, announced its partnership with Choshu Industries Corp. of America (CICA), a Yamaguchi, a Japan-based R&D, solar energy power stations, environmental equipment, semiconductors and H₂ technology and power solutions company. The partnership will initially seek to integrate Choshu's SHiPS, a containerized H₂ production and refueling station system, and MizTomo, a stationary fuel cell power system, into the City's Green Energy Microgrid (GEM) system.

"Since the City of Lancaster announced its goal to become the first hydrogen city in the U.S., we have made steady progress and today marks the next phase of our vision," said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. "We are excited to partner with Choshu Industries on our GEM system, which will add a hydrogen backbone to the system's solar and battery capabilities, all driven by Choshu's advanced artificial intelligence."

The SHiPS and MizTomo systems deployment represent the first projects of Lancaster's partnership with Choshu. These systems can be scaled to extend the City's H₂ capacity to other sectors. Choshu and Lancaster will explore additional opportunities to supply H₂ to commercial users and to support the city's fleet goal. "Lancaster has committed to having the first all-hydrogen municipal fleet in the United States. We plan to replace Lancaster's current fleet of passenger vehicles with new hydrogen vehicles as leases on gas vehicles expire," said Parris. Additionally, Lancaster is engaged with several H₂ refueling station providers to develop a network of passenger and heavy-duty vehicle stations.

The event was commemorated by the agreement signing at the official residence of Japan Consul General Akira Muto in Los Angeles, and joined by CICA CEO Sean Chigusa with greetings and congratulations from Tadashi Mogi, Deputy Minister of METI Japan, Renewable Energy at METI Japan, Norihiko Saeki, Executive Director of JETRO Los Angeles, Lex Heslin, Senior Project Developer of Hitachi Zosen Inova, Takehito Yokoo, Senior Executive Engineer of Toyota Motor North America, and Emily Desai, Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade of the State of California.

Parris is a fifth-term Republican mayor who transformed Lancaster into a renewable energy leader over the past decade by attracting more than $2 B of investment in cutting-edge green companies and technologies. Investors include BYD, which manufactures electric buses; Heliogen, which generates H₂ from concentrated solar energy; SGH2, which gasifies wastepaper into H₂; and Hitachi Zosen Inova, which converts organic waste into renewable natural gas and H₂. The city also started its own utility company, Lancaster Choice Energy, allowing residents to choose local renewable energy at lower prices.