Hydrogen Supplier Joins R&D Program

A New Jersey company joined the ranks of companies participating in a hydrogen fueling demonstration in Canada that aims to address the challenges of a transition to a hydrogen economy.

Murray Hill, New Jersey – April 10, 2003 [SolarAccess.com] BOC, a producer and supplier of hydrogen, will participate in the Compressed Hydrogen Infrastructure Program (CH2IP), a hydrogen fuelling demonstration in Surrey, British Columbia. The CH2IP program, led by Powertech Labs and BC Hydro, brings together companies and organizations that work with hydrogen to advance the development of the infrastructure necessary to support the use of hydrogen fuel in vehicles. Other participants include major oil companies, energy providers and equipment suppliers. The program is also benefiting from financial assistance from the governments of British Columbia and Canada under the Western Economic Partnership Agreement, to promote hydrogen and fuel cells in the province of British Columbia. “Building a hydrogen refueling infrastructure is a big step, but not a giant leap,” said John Carolin, global director of hydrogen energy, BOC. “We believe this program will demonstrate practical, manageable and affordable ways forward. The CH2IP program seeks to: – Construct the world’s first 700-bar fast-fill compressed hydrogen station to demonstrate the feasibility of using high-pressure technology to fuel hydrogen powered vehicles – Facilitate the development of standards for high-pressure hydrogen filling stations – Provide a testing ground for 700-bar hydrogen equipment and develop data on reliability, fast filling rates at 700-bar, operating temperatures, actual costs of generating and compressing hydrogen to various pressures, and safety considerations – Construct the world’s first lightweight 825-bar trailer unit for transporting compressed hydrogen and demonstrate this technology as a low-cost hydrogen station infrastructure – Demonstrate hydrogen as a safe and manageable vehicle fuel and increase awareness of the benefits and safety of clean hydrogen technologies The program consists of three projects. The first project was the construction of a 350-bar hydrogen refueling station, which is now fully operational. The second project is the construction of a 700-bar refueling station, including 875-bar storage and compression, which is now largely complete. The third project will include the construction of a satellite 700-bar refueling station supplied using a lightweight 825-bar tube trailer. Construction of all three projects should be completed later this year, with a period of commissioning and testing through to the end of 2004. All of the facilities are located at Powertech Labs’ site in Surrey, British Columbia.