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The APS Hydrogen Park was the first commercial hydrogen motor vehicle refueling station in Arizona. The park was permitted to fuel hydrogen motor vehicles in March, 2002. Located in the downtown Phoenix historic district, the park provides an example of modern fueling infrastructure integrated with urban architecture. Hydrogen, CNG (compressed natural gas), CHyNG (blends of hydrogen and CNG), and "fast charge" BEV (battery electric vehicle) motor vehicle fueling are all available at the Hydrogen Park fuel dispensers.
The Hydrogen Park provides a "real world" working laboratory to evaluate the safety and economics of using energy stored in hydrogen as a fuel for motor vehicles and distributed electric generation. Collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy, APS explores the opportunities using hydrogen to perform its role in Arizona and meet the national goal for energy security. The APS Hydrogen Park has hosted numerous tours since it began operations. Our interest in hydrogen stems from the national goal for energy security and sustainability, as well as reduction in air emissions from vehicle travel.
Approximately 4,000 fueling events, dispensing over 1,471 Kg of H2 and 15,707 gge of H2/CHG blend, have occurred since the station began operation and there have been no safety incidents. Hydrogen system availability has been above 99 percent. The hydrogen produced from water has been 99.9997 percent pure, and the station has released more than 1 million cubic feet of pure oxygen into the downtown Phoenix air. The 5,500 gge of hydrogen produced was made from 12,650 gallons of water, which was returned to Phoenix air shed as water vapor when burned in the vehicles.
In 2004, APS was awarded an $800,000 cost-sharing grant from the Department of Energy. This grant is being used to model the interconnected workings of a conceptual hydrogen-based power park incorporating renewable energy, hydrogen-vehicle fueling, hydrogen-based heating and cooling, and hydrogen-based electrical generation.
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