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Collaboration Key to Citing Hydrogen Energy Station
by Karen Miller, National Hydrogen Association
On November 15, 2002, the City of Las Vegas, NV dedicated a hydrogen/electricity co-production station. The $10.8 million, five year hydrogen energy demonstration project includes research, development of the new technology and the manufacturing and installation of equipment at the energy station. The project is a public-private partnership between DOE, the City of Las Vegas, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and Plug Power. Key subcomponent manufacturers included Harvest Energy Technologies, providing a fuel processor and the cooperative assembly of the generator; and QuestAir Technologies, providing hydrogen purification equipment.
The fuel cell is a 50 kW PEM fuel cell, with 480 VAC, grid parallel electrical output. This provides enough electricity on a daily basis to power about thirty Las Vegas homes.
Air Product's hydrogen generator at the Las Vegas Energy Station produces hydrogen through the reforming and purification of natural gas. This hydrogen fuels vehicles, and Plug Power's PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell, which provides electrical energy to the Las Vegas grid.
The new energy station produces hydrogen through reformation of natural gas. The hydrogen is supplied to a compressor and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, manufactured by Plug Power. The compressed hydrogen is available for refueling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as well as internal combustion vehicles that run on hydrogen/CNG blends.
The world’s first hydrogen energy station featuring the co-production of hydrogen fuel and electric power. The project is a public-private partnership between the United States Department of Energy, the City of Las Vegas, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and Plug Power, and will serve as a commercial demonstration of hydrogen as a safe and clean energy alternative.
The project demonstrates the success of working closely with city officials from the earliest stages. This collaboration allowed local code officials the opportunity to understand the technologies and safety aspects of the system. Air Products has an unsurpassed safety record in the production, storage, handling, and distribution of hydrogen and other gases. They have earned several safety-related awards, and have assumed a leadership role in supporting the hydrogen fuel technology community in the safe use of hydrogen.
Because the officials from Las Vegas were interested in the project, involved early, and confident of the team’s ability to manage safety and risk, permitting and citing of the facility was accomplished without undue delay.
For more information on the Las Vegas Hydrogen/Electricity Energy Station, stay tuned for the Fall edition of the NHA News.
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