Three New Hydrogen Refuelling Stations Open in the USA
Billerica, Massachusetts, Rolla, Missouri and Arcata, California are all joining an elite group of cities in the United States - those that can boast they are home to one of the 70 hydrogen fueling stations in North America.
Billerica hydrogen fueling station.
The three new stations are being welcomed in the U.S. in August and early September, with the Billerica and Rolla stations hosting their grand opening ceremonies in conjunction with the "Hydrogen Road Tour" that has taken hydrogen vehicles from coast to coast allowing consumers to see and drive vehicles. The third station, designed by a team of Humbold State University students that won the 2005 Hydrogen Student Design Contest, will have its opening at the University next week.
The Billerica station is the first to open in the state of Massachusetts and is located at the headquarters of one of the nation's leading hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers,Nuvera, which specializes in materials handling equipment such as forklifts. "This refueling station will enable the material handling industry today, and bring us one step closer to achieving energy independence, while reducing greenhouse emissions" stated Nuvera CEO Robert Cordero at the ribbon cutting ceremony on August 11, which also marked the first day of the Hydrogen Road Tour.
Later in the week, the Hydrogen Road Tour stopped at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, MO for the grand opening of their refueling station, also the first permanent hydrogen refueler in the state. Missouri S&T, winner of the 2007 Hydrogen Student Design Contest, has long been a leader in hydrogen research
and development. The station will be used to fuel two hydrogen buses that shuttle passengers on the university campus.
On Thursday, September 4, the third station will open at the campus of Humboldt State University. The station is the northernmost and first "rural" location included in Gov. Schwarzenegger's California "Hydrogen Highway," a network of stations that will eventually allow vehicles to drive throughout the state on hydrogen fuel. The station design was developed by a team of HSU students that won the grand prize in the National Hydrogen Association's 2005 Hydrogen Student Design Contest. The Contest, now in its fourth year, challenges teams of University students around the world to design hydrogen systems for real-world applications; this year's theme
is "A Green Building with Hydrogen."
Source: National Hydrogen Association