Hydrogen Refueling Station Opens in D.C.

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/11/04 | Candace Smith - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - About four miles east of the U.S. Capitol, in an industrial section of town, sits a gas station that looks like any other. But it's not, because on Wednesday it became the first in North America to have a hydrogen dispensing pump.

Shell executives, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham (news - web sites) and District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams unveiled the technology, which the Bush administration hopes will help reduce the country's dependence on imported oil.

"This will be, in fact, the first step toward the real transition in the economy from the carbon-based economies of the past to a hydrogen economy of the future," Abraham said.

The pump services only six minivans which General Motors Corp. uses to demonstrate the technology. But with 80,000 vehicles passing by every weekday, Shell officials hope it'll get a lot of attention — and, eventually, use.

GM hopes to sell affordable hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010, and Shell envisions building on the number of stations and having mass-market penetration between 2015 and 2025.

The minivans are equipped with fuel cell stacks which turn hydrogen into electricity to power the vehicle. The only emission is water vapor.

Not everyone supports the refueling station. More than two dozen neighborhood residents with safety concerns protested the opening. Organizers said they don't want the station located 50 yards from an elementary school.

George F. Smalley, a Shell Hydrogen spokesman, said the chances of an explosion were "very, very remote." Hydrogen deliveries will happen at night or on weekends, separately from gas deliveries, Smalley said. The underground storage tank has 24-hour electronic monitoring and the pump requires a security code to use.

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On the Net:

Shell: http://www.shell.com/hydrogen

General Motors: http://www.gm.com

[NormsRevenge]

In this photo released by Shell Hydrogen, from left, Washington DC Mayor Anthony Williams joins Jeremy Bentham, CEO of Shell Hydrogen; Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham (news - web sites); Larry Burns, Vice President of Research Development and Planning for General Motors; and DC Councilman Vincent Orange after Mr. Bentham refueled a fuel cell vehicle at a press conference announcing the first combined hydrogen and gasoline station in North America, Wednesday, November 10, 2004, in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Shell Hydrogen/John Harrington)

[OXENinFLA]

You'd think they'd put a little better protection around that pump.............

[ChuckShick]

The pump services only six minivans which General Motors Corp. uses to demonstrate the technology.

With only 6 minivans to service, I hope they have something else to sell there, like lots of cigarettes and Slim-Jims.

[massgopguy]

That's what I need. A nice big Hyrogen tank in my neighborhood. Can you say "Hindenberg"?

[AppyPappy]

Oh yeah. Gasoline doesn't burn or explode.

[NormsRevenge]

More info at Shell Hydrogen

[Clean_Sweep]

If you consider how many propane bottles, gasoline cans, LPG lines and car gas tanks in your neighboorhood you would be spending your time better. This is a non issue.

[Josh in PA]

How much does hydrogen cost per mile?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

The "Hindenberg" did not burn because of the hydrogen in the airship. It burned because of the highly flammable coating on the interior of the superstructure. But facts do not matter when it comes to the superstitious fear of the new and different.

[KellyAdmirer]

People just have to protest anything new. Sheesh.

[TBall]

"How much does hydrogen cost per mile?" A lot more than it will twenty years from now.

[Neville72]

This picture will be viewed with horror in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait and other Arab nations who are totally dependent on oil revenues for their very survival. It'll take time but the inexorible and inevidible weaning of the world's biggest economies off of oil spells doom for for the mullahs and emirs of the Middle East.

It couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch. They'd better start a comprehensive program of camel raising and tent manufacturing because that's where there headed back to over the next two decades.

[from occupied ga]

Oh yeah. Gasoline doesn't burn or explode.

No gasoline doesn't explode. and it is nowhere near the fire hazard that hydrogen is. Nor is it anywhere close to being as expensive. You should get a high school chemistry text and try reading it.

[from occupied ga]

How much does hydrogen cost per mile?

Counting the capital costs I guess about 500 times what gas costs per mile.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Wanna bet this is government-funded? Isn't it about time we just left the energy economy up to free market forces. The high oil prices should compel somebody to take the initiative on his own into alternatives sooner or later...

[from occupied ga]

The "Hindenberg" did not burn because of the hydrogen in the airship.

Do you also believe in alien abductions?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The only reason we give a flip about the raghead community is their oil.

[dljordan]

"It burned because of the highly flammable coating on the interior of the superstructure"

Butyrate dope probably. I've used it when restoring old aircraft. It WILL burn.

[Rakkasan1]

"no waiting at pump one"...

[NormsRevenge]

This is from the Shell Hydrogen site..

How much does hydrogen cost compared to petrol at the present moment? (bottom of the page)

This is comparing apples and pears. There is no existing commercial market for hydrogen yet. However we have publicly stated that we expect a tank of hydrogen ultimately will get you as far as the same tank filled with petrol for about the same costs.