HOUSTON, June 26 TX-Shell-Hydrogen-LLC
HOUSTON, June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Shell Hydrogen LLC, today, announced the
opening of California's first hydrogen refueling station on a conventional
Shell gasoline forecourt in West Los Angeles (LA).
Located on Santa Monica Boulevard and Federal Avenue (near I-405) the
station joins California's 'hydrogen highway', and gives consumers a taste of
the future, with refueling services for hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles
becoming just as convenient as conventional gasoline motors.
In hydrogen vehicles, an electric motor powers the wheels. A chemical
reaction inside a unit called a fuel cell -- usually between hydrogen and
oxygen -- creates electricity for the motor.
The only tail pipe emission is water vapor, which produces zero carbon
emissions and has the potential to significantly reduce air pollutants and
greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and protect against climate
change.
California already has more fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and hydrogen
refueling stations than any other part of the world, and last year recorded
1.5 million zero emission miles from hydrogen FCV trials. Twenty-five hydrogen
stations currently operate in California, most in the San Francisco-Sacramento
corridor and the Greater Los Angeles and San Diego regions, serving more than
100 fuel cell passenger vehicles and transit buses, with a further ten
stations already in the planning stages.
Hydrogen production at the Shell station will be done on-site by the
electrolysis of water using 'green electricity'(1) purchased from the Los
Angeles City Department of Water & Power. It will then be compressed and
stored to provide daily fueling.
The station will also support a U.S. Department of Energy hydrogen
infrastructure program, to supply hydrogen to future and existing General
Motors FCVs in the LA metro area. GM plans to lease more than thirty Chevrolet
Equinox Fuel Cell-Electric compact SUVs to private and commercial customers in
Southern California, as part of a three-year trial, called "Project Driveaway"
to test the vehicles in real world driving conditions.
Officiating at the launch, City of Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl
said, "California has made significant progress demonstrating fuel cell
vehicle technology and fuel alternatives, but this still requires much more
progress by vehicle and infrastructure providers and the state. However, I am
delighted that today, with support from Shell, we are able to continue to grow
a safe and secure hydrogen infrastructure, that enables fuel cell vehicles to
refuel more conveniently, as we move towards the future commercialisation of
clean transportation technology."
With the US one of the largest automotive markets in the world, with over
247 million vehicles on its roads(2), car ownership predicted to increase by
45% between 2005 and 20203, and US energy consumption set to rise to 139.9
quadrillion Btu by 20154, hydrogen FCVs are set to play an important part in
the United States' growing energy and mobility needs.
In addition to zero tailpipe emissions, finding ways to produce hydrogen
from renewable sources will be critically important to making the fuel
infrastructure sustainable. And with ground breaking approaches to produce
'green hydrogen', manufactured from renewable energy sources, such as
bioethanol (derived from biomass) and solar energy being researched for the
future, 'well to wheel' emissions will be able to near zero.
Hydrogen can also be produced from a number of different feedstocks
including oil, coal, and biomass. This allows different countries to
manufacture hydrogen with their own domestic supplies, and at the same time
reduce costs and increase security of supply.
Graeme Sweeney, Executive Vice President for Shell Future Fuels and CO2
said: "California is leading the way with clean fuels, as it moves one step
closer to realizing its hydrogen program, FCVs powered by hydrogen will
provide a sustainable transportation choice for the future, opening up new
markets across the globe. This requires the sustained effort of energy
companies, auto manufacturers and federal and state governments working
together. We are pleased to be playing our part to help develop a safe and
reliable fueling infrastructure for future clean energy vehicles, as the only
major energy company involved in FCV vehicle demonstrations in all three major
hydrogen markets -- North America, Japan, and Europe."
James J. Provenzano, President of the 40 year-old public advocacy group
Clean Air Now added: "This is a very exciting development. With this station,
Shell is helping to usher in the hydrogen age. We are very pleased to be
working with a large oil company to demonstrate zero-pollution transportation
technologies. Hats off to Shell for implementing innovative solutions to
mitigate air pollution right here in Los Angeles."
'Shell Hydrogen' refers to the companies of the Shell Group of companies
that are engaged in the pursuit and development of businesses related to
hydrogen and fuel cells. Each of the companies that make up the Shell Group
of companies is a separate and distinct legal entity. Principal offices of
Shell Hydrogen are located in The Hague, the Netherlands, with regional bases
in Houston and Tokyo. Shell Hydrogen has been developing hydrogen and fuel
cell businesses since 1999. For further information, please visit
http://www.shell.com/hydrogen.
Sources:
1 = Green electricity purchased from the Los Angeles City Department of
Water & Power is credited against the power company's allowance of
green sourced power.
2 = US Bureau of Transport Statistics -- 247,421,120 vehicles on US roads
in 2006
3 = Unsustainable Transport Report, January 2005, Professor David
Bannister, University College London
- Over the next 25 years (to 2020), we are likely to see a further
increase of 75 per cent in car ownership levels and a growth of 56
per cent in traffic levels globally (p22)
- In developed countries, there is some stability in the patterns of
travel, with car ownership expected to increase by 45 per cent
(North America) and 54 per cent in other OECD countries (p22)
4 = US Energy Information Administration, International Energy Outlook
Report 2006
INQUIRIES:
Shell Oil Company Shell Media Line +1 (713) 241- 4544
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SOURCE Shell Hydrogen LLC
