Hydrogen highway
Encyclopedia
A hydrogen highway is a chain of hydrogen
-equipped filling stations
and other infrastructure along a road
or highway
which allow hydrogen powered cars to travel. It is an element of the hydrogen infrastructure
that is generally assumed to be a pre-requisite for mass utilization of hydrogen cars. For instance, William Clay Ford Jr. has stated that infrastructure is one of three factors (also including costs and manufacturability in high volumes) that hold back the marketability of fuel cell
cars. (On the flip side, some commentators such as Amory Lovins
in Natural Capitalism
, argue that such infrastructure may not be necessary). Hence, there are plans and proposals to begin developing hydrogen highways through private and public funds.
The use of hydrogen cars has been proposed as a means to reduce local pollution
and carbon emissions because hydrogen fuel cell cars emit clean exhaust. However, as long as the majority of hydrogen continues to be produced by burning fossil fuels, some pollution is emitted by the hydrogen manufacturing process
.
, Canada
, the BC Hydrogen Highway is planned to link Vancouver
and Whistler
. Seven fueling stations were planned. On March 13, 2007, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
announced funding of almost $200 million Canadian for environmental projects in B.C. including the hydrogen highway.
and DWV (German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association). These initiatives incorporate development of hydrogen stations.
In March 2008, the government of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
launched the "NRW Hydrogen HyWay" initiative along the existing hydrogen pipeline (total length 230 km) in the Rhine-Ruhr area.
is the Motorway of Brennero. It runs from Modena
to Verona
.
's hydrogen highway is part of the Japan hydrogen fuel cell project. Twelve hydrogen fueling stations
have been built in 11 cities in Japan.
- In Norway
, a 7 (planned) station hydrogen highway from Oslo
to Stavanger
, opened on 11 May 2009 in Oslo.
In October 2011, Statoil announced they wanted to close their filling stations in Stavanger
, Porsgrunn
, Drammen
and Oslo
after 2012.
is a planned 15 station Nordic Transportation Network (NTN) that serves to link Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany.
between Huesca
and Zaragoza
, opened in June 2010.
. In August 2008, fuelcelltoday reported that three new hydrogen fueling stations were opening in the U.S., bringing the total to 70 in the country. In April 2009, however, BNET Auto reported that there are currently 65 hydrogen stations in the U.S.
by the California Fuel Cell Partnership
around 1999. However, they were not systematically positioned to form a hydrogen highway. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
, in a State of the State address
in 2004, said: I am going to encourage the building of a hydrogen highway to take us to the environmental future. ... I intend to show the world that economic growth and the environment can coexist. And if you want to see it, then come to California. Schwarzenegger introduced his "Vision 2010" plan. The main objective was for every citizen in California to have access to hydrogen fuel along the state highway
s by 2010. The plan included the construction of 150 to 200 hydrogen station
s to be spaced out a maximum of every 20 miles.
In 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a Senate Bill (SB) 76 to fund the first year of the California Hydrogen Highway
project. The bill provided $6.5 million to build the Hydrogen Highway Networkup, known as CaH2Net, with up to three hydrogen fueling stations, as well as allowing leasing or purchase of hydrogen vehicles by the state and requiring development of standards for hydrogen fuel by 2008. Senate Bill (SB) 1505, signed by Schwarzenegger in 2007, put the environmental requirements described in the California Hydrogen Highway Blueprint Plan into statute. As of July 2007, California had 25 stations in operation.
As of March 2009, according to Greenwire, 24 hydrogen fueling stations were operating in California. As of January 2011, there were between 25 and 30, mostly in and around Los Angeles.
, Governor of Florida
, announced proposed legislation (called the Florida Energy Technologies Act) to promote hydrogen technologies in the state. He made this announcement at the ground-breaking of the first fueling station of a proposed hydrogen highway from Orlando
to Tampa
.
South Carolina
also has a hydrogen freeway in the works. There are currently two hydrogen fueling stations, one each in Aiken and Columbia, SC. According to the South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance
, the Columbia station has a current capacity of 120 kg a day, with future plans to develop on-site hydrogen production from electrolysis and reformation. The Aiken station has a current capacity of 80 kg. The University of South Carolina
, a founding member of the South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance
, received funding of 12.5 million dollars from the Department of Energy
for its Future Fuels Program.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
-equipped filling stations
Hydrogen station
A hydrogen station is a storage or filling station for hydrogen, usually located along a road or hydrogen highway, or at home as part of the distributed generation resources concept. The stations are usually intended to power vehicles, but can also be used to power small devices. Vehicles use...
and other infrastructure along a road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
or highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
which allow hydrogen powered cars to travel. It is an element of the hydrogen infrastructure
Hydrogen infrastructure
A hydrogen infrastructure is the infrastructure of pipes and stations for distribution and sale of hydrogen fuel.-Hydrogen pipeline transport:Hydrogen pipeline transport is a transportation of hydrogen through a pipe as part of the hydrogen infrastructure...
that is generally assumed to be a pre-requisite for mass utilization of hydrogen cars. For instance, William Clay Ford Jr. has stated that infrastructure is one of three factors (also including costs and manufacturability in high volumes) that hold back the marketability of fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
cars. (On the flip side, some commentators such as Amory Lovins
Amory Lovins
Amory Bloch Lovins is an American environmental scientist and writer, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has worked in the field of energy policy and related areas for four decades...
in Natural Capitalism
Natural capitalism
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution is a 1999 book co-authored by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins. It has been translated into a dozen languages and was the subject of a Harvard Business Review summary....
, argue that such infrastructure may not be necessary). Hence, there are plans and proposals to begin developing hydrogen highways through private and public funds.
The use of hydrogen cars has been proposed as a means to reduce local pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
and carbon emissions because hydrogen fuel cell cars emit clean exhaust. However, as long as the majority of hydrogen continues to be produced by burning fossil fuels, some pollution is emitted by the hydrogen manufacturing process
Hydrogen production
Hydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen. Currently the dominant technology for direct production is steam reforming from hydrocarbons. Many other methods are known including electrolysis and thermolysis...
.
British Columbia
In British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the BC Hydrogen Highway is planned to link Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
. Seven fueling stations were planned. On March 13, 2007, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
announced funding of almost $200 million Canadian for environmental projects in B.C. including the hydrogen highway.
Germany
Germany has a variety of hydrogen initiatives such as National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme (NIP), promoted by government institutions such as NOW GmbH (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) and industry groups including the Clean Energy PartnershipClean Energy Partnership
Clean Energy Partnership is a joint project for world's most versatile hydrogen demonstration. It is aiming for emission-free mobility and has several hydrogen stations.As of May 2010 the CEP is a consortium of thirteen partners:...
and DWV (German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association). These initiatives incorporate development of hydrogen stations.
In March 2008, the government of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
launched the "NRW Hydrogen HyWay" initiative along the existing hydrogen pipeline (total length 230 km) in the Rhine-Ruhr area.
Italy
One of the first hydrogen highways in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
is the Motorway of Brennero. It runs from Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
to Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
.
Japan
JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's hydrogen highway is part of the Japan hydrogen fuel cell project. Twelve hydrogen fueling stations
Hydrogen station
A hydrogen station is a storage or filling station for hydrogen, usually located along a road or hydrogen highway, or at home as part of the distributed generation resources concept. The stations are usually intended to power vehicles, but can also be used to power small devices. Vehicles use...
have been built in 11 cities in Japan.
Scandinavia
The Scandinavian Hydrogen Highway Partnership (SHHP) links the three current hydrogen highways HyNor, Hydrogen Link and HyFuture.Norway
HyNorHynor
The HyNor hydrogen highway in Norway was established in 2003 and is part of the Scandinavian hydrogen highway partnership. The highway is part of the Norwegian hydrogen infrastructure, and several hydrogen refuelling stations have been built along the route....
- In Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, a 7 (planned) station hydrogen highway from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, opened on 11 May 2009 in Oslo.
In October 2011, Statoil announced they wanted to close their filling stations in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Porsgrunn
Porsgrunn
is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Porsgrunn....
, Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
after 2012.
Sweden
Hydrogen Sweden (formerly Hyfuture / SamVäte i Väst) is the development of a hydrogen highway system in the western region of Sweden.Denmark
The hydrogen link networkHydrogen link network
The Hydrogen link network in Denmark was established in 2005 by the Nordic Transportpolitical Network to form a hydrogen highway with hydrogen Sweden and hynor as part of the Scandinavian hydrogen highway partnership....
is a planned 15 station Nordic Transportation Network (NTN) that serves to link Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany.
Spain
The first three Spanish fueling stations are located on the A-23Autovía A-23
The Autovía A-23 is a highway in Aragon, Spain.It is an upgrade of the N-330 and N-234. It starts in Huesca then heads south to Zaragoza. Thereafter it follows the rio Jiloca south to Teruel through the Sierra d'Espada to the coast at Sagunto....
between Huesca
Huesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
and Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, opened in June 2010.
United States
There are plans and proposals for hydrogen highways in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In August 2008, fuelcelltoday reported that three new hydrogen fueling stations were opening in the U.S., bringing the total to 70 in the country. In April 2009, however, BNET Auto reported that there are currently 65 hydrogen stations in the U.S.
California
Hydrogen fueling stations began to be built in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by the California Fuel Cell Partnership
California Fuel Cell Partnership
The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a public-private partnership to promote hydrogen vehicles in California. It is notable as one of the first initiatives for that purpose undertaken in the United States....
around 1999. However, they were not systematically positioned to form a hydrogen highway. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, in a State of the State address
State of the State Address
The State of the State Address is a speech customarily given once each year by the governors of most states of the United States. The speech is customarily delivered before both houses of the state legislature sitting in joint session, with the exception of the Nebraska Legislature, which is a...
in 2004, said: I am going to encourage the building of a hydrogen highway to take us to the environmental future. ... I intend to show the world that economic growth and the environment can coexist. And if you want to see it, then come to California. Schwarzenegger introduced his "Vision 2010" plan. The main objective was for every citizen in California to have access to hydrogen fuel along the state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
s by 2010. The plan included the construction of 150 to 200 hydrogen station
Hydrogen station
A hydrogen station is a storage or filling station for hydrogen, usually located along a road or hydrogen highway, or at home as part of the distributed generation resources concept. The stations are usually intended to power vehicles, but can also be used to power small devices. Vehicles use...
s to be spaced out a maximum of every 20 miles.
In 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a Senate Bill (SB) 76 to fund the first year of the California Hydrogen Highway
California Hydrogen Highway
The California Hydrogen Highway is a series of hydrogen refueling stations in California. These stations are used to refuel hydrogen vehicles such as fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen combustion vehicles....
project. The bill provided $6.5 million to build the Hydrogen Highway Networkup, known as CaH2Net, with up to three hydrogen fueling stations, as well as allowing leasing or purchase of hydrogen vehicles by the state and requiring development of standards for hydrogen fuel by 2008. Senate Bill (SB) 1505, signed by Schwarzenegger in 2007, put the environmental requirements described in the California Hydrogen Highway Blueprint Plan into statute. As of July 2007, California had 25 stations in operation.
As of March 2009, according to Greenwire, 24 hydrogen fueling stations were operating in California. As of January 2011, there were between 25 and 30, mostly in and around Los Angeles.
Florida
On February 18, 2005, Jeb BushJeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
, Governor of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, announced proposed legislation (called the Florida Energy Technologies Act) to promote hydrogen technologies in the state. He made this announcement at the ground-breaking of the first fueling station of a proposed hydrogen highway from Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
to Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
.
East Coast
The East Coast Hydrogen SuperHighway (or NY Hydrogen H2IWay) was planned, as of 2006, to extend from New York City to Albany, and further to upstate NY in order to reach Montreal, as well as especially to the west to Buffalo, along the major New York Thruway with further linking to the Interprovincial Hydrogen Corridor planned between Detroit, Toronto and Montreal. No fueling stations have yet been opened.South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
also has a hydrogen freeway in the works. There are currently two hydrogen fueling stations, one each in Aiken and Columbia, SC. According to the South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance
South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance
The South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance is a Public-private collaborative with a mission of advancing the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell technologies in the state of South Carolina. Government entities, in particular, the Department of Energy has funded SCHFCA with $188,788 for...
, the Columbia station has a current capacity of 120 kg a day, with future plans to develop on-site hydrogen production from electrolysis and reformation. The Aiken station has a current capacity of 80 kg. The University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, a founding member of the South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance
South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance
The South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance is a Public-private collaborative with a mission of advancing the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell technologies in the state of South Carolina. Government entities, in particular, the Department of Energy has funded SCHFCA with $188,788 for...
, received funding of 12.5 million dollars from the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
for its Future Fuels Program.
See also
- Alternative Fuels Plan
- Hydrogen economyHydrogen economyThe hydrogen economy is a proposed system of delivering energy using hydrogen. The term hydrogen economy was coined by John Bockris during a talk he gave in 1970 at General Motors Technical Center....
- Hydrogen stationHydrogen stationA hydrogen station is a storage or filling station for hydrogen, usually located along a road or hydrogen highway, or at home as part of the distributed generation resources concept. The stations are usually intended to power vehicles, but can also be used to power small devices. Vehicles use...
- Compressed hydrogen tube trailer
- Liquid hydrogen tank truck