LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air
Products' (NYSE: APD) hydrogen, West Coast pipeline system, and
industry-leading fueling technology were integral parts of an
historic event today as Shell officially opened the United States' first-ever pipeline-fed
hydrogen fueling station. The Torrance, California station, a collaborative
effort between Air Products, Shell, Toyota, South Coast Air Quality
Management District (SCAQMD) and United States Department of Energy
(DOE), will supply hydrogen for several automobile manufacturers'
fuel cell vehicles in the Los
Angeles area.
"This fueling station will be a tremendous model to show how
effortless a pipeline supply of hydrogen can be to an automobile
fueling station and other hydrogen fuel cell applications. It will
add another mode of supply, on potentially a very large scale, to
Air Products' portfolio of distribution technologies in meeting the
emerging fueling applications of today," said David J. Taylor, vice president – Energy
Businesses at Air Products to assembled guests for the station's
dedication ceremony in Torrance
today. "Pipeline distribution of hydrogen offers the lowest
delivered and dispensed price for hydrogen supply on a mass scale,
and this site will be a model to be able to learn and expand these
types of stations as opportunities arise." Air Products
believes this station will show the cost-competitiveness of
hydrogen delivered in this manner to the gasoline costs of
today.
The station, which received project funding assistance from
SCAQMD and DOE prior to 2011, is situated on land adjacent to the
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc.
(TMS) sales and marketing headquarters. It is fed by Air
Products' hydrogen pipeline located less than 50 feet from the
station and connected to Air Products' Wilmington and Carson, Calif. hydrogen production facilities.
In addition to the hydrogen for the fuel cell vehicles, Air
Products' hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing technology
are also integral components in the fueling station. The
station includes several technology advancements, and among them is
the ability to simultaneously fuel four hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
from the four dispensers at the site. The station currently
has the requested fueling capacity of 50 kilograms of hydrogen per
12-hour day (or the equivalent of 50 gallons of gasoline per day),
has the technical capability to reach 100 kilograms per day, and is
expandable.
"Building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is a
critical step in the successful market launch of fuel cell
vehicles," said Chris Hostetter,
group vice president, TMS. "We plan to bring a fuel cell
vehicle to market in 2015, or sooner, and the infrastructure must
be in place to support our customers' needs."
Air Products, the leading global supplier of hydrogen to
refineries to assist in the production of cleaner burning
transportation fuels, has unique experience in the hydrogen fueling
industry. These varied fueling applications provide an opportunity
to assess consumer experiences, evaluate product performance and
advance product improvements. In fact, in certain market
applications, fueling rates at several individual sites of over
15,000 refills per year are occurring. The company has placed
over 120 hydrogen fueling stations in the
United States and 19 countries worldwide. Cars,
trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts, locomotives, planes, cell
towers, material handling equipment, and even submarines have been
fueled with trend-setting technologies that involve Air Products'
know-how, equipment and hydrogen. Use of the company's
technology is increasing and is currently over 350,000 hydrogen
fills per year.
Air Products has more than 50 years of hydrogen experience and
is on the forefront of hydrogen energy technology development.
Air Products has an extensive patent portfolio with over 50
patents in hydrogen dispensing technology. Air Products
provides liquid and gaseous hydrogen, and HCNG (hydrogen/compressed
natural gas) fueling, and has developed a variety of enabling
devices and protocols for fuel dispensing at varied
pressures. Hydrogen for these stations can be delivered to a
site via truck, produced by natural gas reformation, biomass
conversion, or by electrolysis, including electrolysis that is
solar and wind driven.
About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy,
technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio
of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance
materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940,
Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets
such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare
services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and
adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative
culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the
environment. In fiscal 2010, Air Products had revenues of
$9 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2010.
SOURCE Air Products