As a fuel, hydrogen offers greater efficiency and lower emissions. But how does it hold up in everyday use? To find out, a hydrogen filling station for fuel-cell-powered vehicles was opened at the southern edge of Industriepark Höchst. The station's opening marked the beginning of the implementation phase – after two years of preparation – for Zero Regio, a project sponsored by the European Union and coordinated by Infraserv Höchst with 16 European companies and research institutes from four countries.
To give hydrogen - powered cars the same range as conventional vehicles at minimum cost, the hydrogen has to be heavily compressed. Down to almost 900 bars, in fact. It can be pumped into the vehicles in liquid form, or as a gas at 350 and 700 bars.
The station can count on a steady supply of hydrogen: Each year, some 30 million cubic meters of hydrogen are generated in Industriepark Höchst as a byproduct of chlorine production, and can be used for mobile applications. That is enough fuel to power 10,000 cars or 400 buses in the Rhine-Main region.
A
dedicated 1.7-kilometer-long
pipeline was built from the Hydrogen Center – Industriepark Höchst's hydrogen storage facility – to
the filling station. The multi-fuel filling
station also offers gasoline, diesel, biodiesel,
natural gas and liquefied gas.
It is open 24 hours a day and contains a car wash, a convenience store and a bistro.
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