Hydrogen Fueling Station Case Study: White Plains, New York
The Shell station at White Plains, New York, dispenses gaseous hydrogen generated by water electrolysis
The White Plains Shell station is the first hydrogen fueling station in New York. It is located onsite at the city's public works garage. The facility generates and stores 30 kg of gaseous hydrogen from water electrolysis using carbon dioxide-free hydropower provided by the New York Power Authority. On Nov. 13, 2007, Shell Hydrogen and the City of White Plains dedicated the station.
General Motors is including the station in its national Project Driveaway program, for which families will test drive Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles in a national program that will last 3-30 months. Shell and General Motors are also working together on the U.S. Department of Energy's Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project to help demonstrate and gather data about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles so that they can become an everyday reality.
Shell has developed a step-by-step approach to the development of the hydrogen mass market. Its plans include:
Step One: Stand-alone projects with restricted access (such as depots for hydrogen-fueled buses)
Step Two: Second-generation sites with public access that are separate from existing gasoline stations (such as the facility it opened in Iceland in April 2003, which supplies hydrogen made from water to three city buses)
Step Three: Fully integrated fuel stations (which include traditional fuels and hydrogen)
Step Four: Mini-network "lighthouse projects" (which are semi-commercial, public-private partnerships that involve multiple energy companies, governments, and fleets of 100 or more vehicles) to be developed within the next 5 years
Step Five: Mini-networks that connect hydrogen fueling corridors to be developed during the 2010-2020 time period.
The White Plains station meets Step 2 of this approach.
Station Facts
Location:
140 South Kensico Ave.
White Plains, NY
Fuels Available:
This station offers gaseous hydrogen (5,000 psig)
Hydrogen Generation:
The hydrogen is generated from water electrolysis (at grade).
Dispensers:
One gaseous hydrogen dispenser dispenses at 5,000 psig (30 kilograms per day).
Safety Features
The station's safety features include:
Station
- Emergency shut-offs
- Hydrogen detectors
- Flame detectors
Hydrogen storage
- Tank vent active control valves for vapor control
- Pressure relief devices
Dispensing
- Vapor control at the dispenser by means of vapor capture
- Breakaway hoses
- Below-grade piping
- Electrical grounding
- Crash bars around dispensers.
Contact Information
For more information, contact:
Joseph "Bud" Nicoletti
Commissioner of Public Works/City Engineer
White Plains, NY
914-422-1210
Shell Hydrogen
Two Shell Plaza
777 Walker Street
Houston, TX 77002