The world's largest hydrogen filling station was formally opened in Berlin, Germany, on Friday. Hydro supplies hydrogen gas to fill cars at the station, while the company Norsk Hydro Electrolysers AS, based at Notodden, Norway, delivers the production equipment.
Hydro has worked with eight other companies in the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) project, which is supported by the Federal Government of Germany. The aim of the project is to demonstrate that hydrogen can function as an everyday fuel with a view to future sustainable mobility.
At the opening of the filling station, Ivar Hexeberg, vice president of the New Energy unit in Hydro, handed over the hydrogen fuel dispenser to the Federal Minister of Transportation, Dr. Manfred Stolpe, describing it as a "token of a better future".
The total investment in the project is approximately EUR 33 million. Companies that otherwise compete in the energy, hydrogen and automotive industries are working together on the development of hydrogen as fuel for transportation.
The hydrogen station, which is part of the Aral chain, is situated at Messedamm, close to the Berlin central bus station. Hydrogen is produced by a Hydro/GHW electrolyser through splitting water into its two basic elements hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity needed for this process is in the form of renewable power in Berlin. The hydrogen is pressurized and stored. The Hydro electrolyser can be controlled from Norway and will produce hydrogen at demand. This production in the middle of the busy city of Berlin gives no emissions at all, apart from oxygen which is released to the air.
"Environmentally friendly initiatives such as this are well suited to us; it's Hydro's mission to help create a sustainable society," said Hexeberg at the opening.