Air Products to expand US hydrogen-fuel network

Air Products will bring onstream three more SmartFuel hydrogen fueling stations in California during the month of October, the company announced on Thursday.

The three stations are coming onstream, with another 25 hydrogen fueling stations involving Air Products that are now in the construction, planning or permitting phase, as automobile manufacturers gear up to launch fuel-cell vehicles into the California market.

The California stations set to open for public use this month are located at: 11261 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles; 1819 Cloverfield Boulevard, Santa Monica; and the University of California-Irvine, Irvine. 

Air Products' hydrogen fueling technology was also brought onstream recently at a station located at the South Coast Air Quality Management District building in Diamond Bar, California.

"We thought with today being National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day in the United States, that we would give an update on our network of stations in California which are coming onstream in the near-term, and also stations that are in the planning, permitting and construction stages," said Ed Kiczek, global business director of hydrogen energy systems at Air Products. 

"We are pleased with the progress we have been making in commercializing these stations as the planned vehicle rollout is set to begin, and believe the public will find the hydrogen fueling process very similar to filling a vehicle with traditional fuels," he added.

The US Senate passed Resolution 217 on Sept. 29, citing the many benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell technology and designating October 8, 2015 as National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day. Kiczek said he applauds the Senate for passing the Resolution, as well as the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association for its work in gaining the recognition.

Air Products' hydrogen fueling technology is already deployed at nine SmartFuel stations in California, fueling cars in public and private use, with the addition of the three announced today. The company is in the process of adding six more fueling stations from awards granted by the California Energy Commission.

Air Products is also providing the hydrogen fueling technology and infrastructure for 19 stations for FirstElement Fuel's initial network of hydrogen fueling stations in California. In addition, Air Products operates three hydrogen-powered forklift fueling stations in the state. When all of these stations are onstream, Air Products' hydrogen fueling technology will be in place at 37 California locations.

Air Products' SmartFuel stations worldwide provide hydrogen fueling at 700 bar (10,000 psi) and include Air Products' technology that is referenced in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2601 hydrogen fueling protocol. Air Products has available several SmartFuel station concepts incorporating modular and expandable technology and holds a global patent portfolio, with additional patents pending, related to the advancements to be deployed under the protocol. 

Additionally, the novel patented supply systems to be introduced into California can cost-effectively seed early markets where hydrogen fueling infrastructure may not exist, and can be deployed anywhere in the US.

The fueling stations will also include Air Products' advanced consumer-friendly retail hydrogen fuel dispenser, which has been certified by the California Division of Measurement Standards. The new Air Products offering is the market's first fully-integrated retail hydrogen dispenser, mirrors traditional consumer gasoline fueling and payment practices, and is readily available to meet consumer expectations of refilling hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles in a safe, fast, reliable, and familiar manner, the company says.