Hydrogen Fueling Stations Produce Electricity, Heat, And Hydrogen Fuel

Several automakers have produced vehicles that can run on hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen fuel cells are able to provide vehicles with plenty of driving range and produce no harmful emissions that contribute to pollution. One of the biggest downsides to fuel cell powered vehicles is that the hydrogen-refueling infrastructure is basically nonexistent.

Two companies have announced a memorandum of understanding for marketing tri-generation stationary fuel cell power plants. The two companies include Air Products and FuelCell Energy. The two companies are working on market development to provide stationery Direct FuelCell power plants that are able to produce hydrogen, clean electricity, and usable heat.

The companies want to market these tri-generation stationary fuel cell power plants not only to industrial hydrogen users but for vehicle refueling applications. One significant feature of the system is that it produces not only hydrogen, but it also produces electricity and heat. The heat and electricity can be used to reduce the need for purchased electricity in the industrial setting.

In the vehicle fueling setting the electricity generated can be used by the fueling station and the heat could be used for climate control. These two companies are working together on a three-year-production project in California began in 2011. This particular project is providing renewable hydrogen for vehicle fueling along with clean electricity by converting biogas generated from waste water treatment process into renewable hydrogen.