The naysayers of hydrogen fuel complain that there is no infrastructure, H2 is unsafe, and producing hydrogen is uncommon, etc. Well, one large industrial gas company, Linde, begs to differ.
Linde has just hit the 500,000 hydrogen fueling station fill mark, all safe. Their stations have provided quick and safe refills for hydrogen cars, buses and materials handling units.
According to Mike Beckman, vice president of Linde’s U.S. hydrogen fueling team, “When people ask me if hydrogen fueling is going to happen some day, I say it is happening in a very big way already, with hundreds of fuelings daily – and our systems are proof we can do this safely and economically. We are building the expertise to deliver new and sustainable energy solutions that contribute to a greener world and cleaner environment …
“… We are proud that our customers have displayed the confidence in Linde to supply the hydrogen fueling systems to reach this important milestone. This proves that our technology can help advance sustainability and lower emissions while also helping to improve the bottom line. Hydrogen already is one of the most promising alternative fuels because it is safe, economic and efficient.”
With half a million fills and counting, this is just the beginning for Linde.
“Technology company The Linde Group has developed a new storage technology that will enable a much more efficient transport of larger amounts of hydrogen. The new solution works at a higher pressure of 500 bar (7,250 psi) and uses new, lighter storage materials to more than double the amount of compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH2) that can be transported in a single truck load. Successful field tests with the first reference customer have confirmed the clear benefits of the 500-bar technology over conventional 200-bar systems…..
A single trailer can transport over 1,100 kilograms, or 13,000 normal cubic metres, of hydrogen gas. In addition, the trailers can now be filled and emptied in less than 60 minutes.”