Finding an Economical Route for Hydrogen - Environmental Auto Services

It may sound too futuristic to be true—or perhaps just an alternative fuel lovers early Christmas wish—but a California fuel station is doing triple duty in saving energy. The station, located in Fountain Valley, Calif., is said to have been the first of its kind when it began operation this fall as a tri-generation fuel cell and hydrogen station.
The fuel cell, developed by the folks at FuelCell Energy, Inc., is a combo system producing both hydrogen and electricity. The Fountain Valley energy station, with a big boost from a $2.2 million Department of Energy grant, operates on biogas generated by the Orange County Sanitation District's wastewater treatment facility. Hydrogen produced by the fuel cell system is then routed to a fueling station which supports about 25 to 50 fuel cell electric vehicle fill-ups each day. In addition, he fuel cell produces about 250 kW of electricity that can be utilized by the wastewater treatment facility. The system is a big step forward in solving the economic issues with hydrogen refueling infrastructure. It just shows what a bit of ingenuity can do.