The Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) has been awarded $13 million by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to launch a critical pilot project deploying hydrogen fuel cell technology in the state’s busiest logistics hub.
The initiative will deploy six green hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty trucks at Port Newark for drayage operations—the short-distance movement of shipping containers from the port to warehouses and rail yards.
Led by Rutgers CAIT, the project is a collaborative effort involving major partners: PSEG, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), Hyundai Motor Company (providing the XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The goal is to demonstrate hydrogen’s potential to enhance supply chain efficiency, invest in U.S. infrastructure and jobs, and position New Jersey as a hub for advanced, clean transportation technologies.
“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,” Tim Sullivan, CEO of the NJEDA, said.
The current drayage operations rely on fuel-intensive, combustion engine trucks. By introducing zero-emission hydrogen trucks, the pilot aims to chart a course toward a cleaner future for the East Coast’s busiest seaport.
The project will begin with the procurement of the trucks, securing the hydrogen supply, and designing the necessary fueling site. Truck deployment and testing are expected to begin in early 2026.
Ali Maher, director of Rutgers CAIT and principal investigator, stressed the research and development focus. “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,” he stated.
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Rutgers will manage the project, leading research, workforce development, and performance validation.
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PSEG will manage the fueling operations, bringing their industrial expertise in hydrogen to the forefront.
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CTE will work with Rutgers to collect service data on existing drayage operations to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks for the hydrogen trucks.
After daily service begins, the team will collect and analyze data for 12 months, providing a comprehensive report on the benefits and challenges of green hydrogen-powered drayage, including shifts in fuel consumption, maintenance costs, and port utilization.
Christopher Diamond, director of the Office of Sustainability at the Port Authority, noted that the project 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.”
