Air Products' hydrogen fueling technology was an integral part of a Shell Hydrogen project this week that officially opened North America's first-ever hydrogen filling station at an existing retail gasoline site in Washington, D.C.

The Benning Road demonstration project makes Shell the first energy company in North America to provide the environmentally friendly fuel at a consumer retail site, alongside conventional fuels. Initially, it will provide fuel for six GM Hydrogen 3 fuel cell vehicles participating in this Shell-General Motors partnership demonstration project.

Shell Hydrogen and General Motors are combining resources to help make hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a commercially viable reality. The Washington, D.C. initiative represents an important step forward in the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Air Products' Series 200 fueling technology, a totally integrated vehicle fueling system, will provide the storage and dispensing of hydrogen to the vehicles. This Air Products fueling technology is designed to meet early vehicle fleet fueling requirements by providing the customer flexibility of using hydrogen generated on-site or from a distributed hydrogen supply.

The hydrogen fueling facility in Washington, D.C. has the capacity to dispense 20 kilograms of gaseous hydrogen per day and also provides a dispenser for liquid hydrogen vehicle fueling.

11/12/2004