Listen to this article

The basics:

• Rutgers CAIT receives $13M NJEDA grant to pilot hydrogen trucks at Port Newark
• 6 Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell trucks will support drayage, supply-chain operations
• Project includes fueling site design, truck deployment & 12 months of performance tracking
• Partners include PSEG, CTE, Hyundai, Port Authority — focusing on clean-energy innovation and workforce development

The Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation received $13 million from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to launch a major pilot that will deploy six green hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty trucks at Port Newark.

The project aims to test the technology in real port operations to accelerate New Jersey’s clean-transportation goals.

It brings together Rutgers CAIT, PSEG, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Hyundai Motor Co., and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Officials say the pilot could strengthen supply-chain efficiency, support clean-energy jobs and help position New Jersey as a national hub for hydrogen innovation.

“Under Gov. [Phil] Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey continues to make impactful investments into proven clean energy technologies like hydrogen, promoting innovation, creating jobs, and improving quality of life for New Jerseyans,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO of the NJEDA. “With support from the NJEDA, this pilot project will leverage expertise from academia, government, and the private sector to explore the potential of hydrogen-powered trucks, keeping New Jersey on the forefront of innovation and strengthening our long-term economic competitiveness.”

Key project details:

• This demonstration will utilize Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks at Port Newark
• Trucks will transport shipping containers from the port to warehouses, rail yards and the next leg of the freight journey – supporting exiting drayage operations (moving goods over short distances) and supply chain logistics. This short-distance transport of goods is conducted by fuel-intensive, combustion engine trucks
• Project will proceed in phases – starting with procurement of the trucks and hydrogen supply as well as the design of the fueling site
• Truck deployment and testing expect to start in the beginning of 2026
• Rutgers will manage the project, leading the research, workforce development and performance validation efforts
• Rutgers CAIT will engage experts from the university’s School of Engineering and the Office for Research. They will work to identify and document opportunities to build on the successes and lessons learned from this pilot. Additionally, they will collaborate with CTE to collect service data on existing drayage operations to establish key performance indicators and benchmarks for the hydrogen trucks
• PSEG will manage the fueling operations of the six hydrogen-powered trucks
• After daily truck service begins, the project team will collect, analyze and report on key performance indicators for 12 months.
• At the end of the pilot, the team will develop a comprehensive dataset and snapshot of the benefits and challenges associated with green hydrogen-powered drayage trucks

A different lens

“At Rutgers we see these challenges as opportunities to grow into a 21st-century research and development leader,” said Michael Zwick, senior vice president for research at Rutgers University. “Now is an essential time to invest in transformative technologies and innovative thinking that can position New Jersey and the U.S. ahead of the curve for years to come. We look forward to working together with the NJEDA and our project partners on this important hydrogen initiative.”

“This pilot is another step in the Port Authority’s broader effort to look at every viable pathway toward a cleaner future for our critical infrastructure and operations,” said Christopher Diamond, director of the Office of Sustainability, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “Our ambitious commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 brings with it a responsibility to help chart the course toward greater sustainability across our vast network, including the East Coast’s busiest seaport.

“We’re eager to take advantage of the region’s innovative spirit to examine emerging technology and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.”

“PSEG’s expertise in hydrogen across industrial settings well positions us to partner in this initiative at Port Newark,” said Jeffrey Stokes, senior director of renewables engineering and technical support at PSEG. “We’re proud to bring that experience to the forefront as we support truck fueling operations for the project. PSEG aims to drive reliable energy infrastructure while also supporting the state’s efforts to drive economic development.”

“It’s about making New Jersey a research and development and workforce training hub for hydrogen-powered transportation,” said Ali Maher, director of Rutgers CAIT and principal investigator of the project. “We’re demonstrating how hydrogen can be integrated into real-world transportation and logistics operations, and we will investigate its potential to drive down costs, improve performance, and support long-term economic growth.”