Comparing to the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics the 2010 Olympic Games are greener than ever. Still the first Olympic Games that used hydrogen vehicles were in Turin in 2006. The 2006 Fiat Panda Hydrogen Concept was presented there, and again Air Liquide provided the supply for the hydrogen refuelling station. The future looks bright for hydrogen at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games that will be held in London. A taxi cab that runs on the latest hydrogen fuel cell technology is being developed with the aim of being ready for full road trials in time for the 2012 Olympics. London’s deputy mayor, Kit Malthouse, announced last year that by 2012 there would be six hydrogen refuelloing stations in the capital. He said he wanted around 20-50 taxis in operation by then, as well as 150 hydrogen-powered buses. In addition to the ITM Power, who is developing engineering solutions for low-cost low-carbon hydrogen generation refueling stations, Air Products will dispense hydrogen fuel from mobile trailers. The Air Products mobile refueling units will be parked at local gas stations around London providing compressed H2 gas for the black taxis during the 2012 Olympics.

The Air Products Series 100 Hydrogen Fueling Station has been an important enabler in changing industry and consumer perception in the UK as to the validity and safety of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The Rushlight Award acknowledges the success of this fully integrated fueling station in meeting the needs of hydrogen fueling test and demonstration programs. The Series 100’s features include simple operation for hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing, a small footprint, quick installation and ease of relocation. Details on Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station technologies are provided at the Air Products website.

“Receiving the Rushlight Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Award is a great honor. It demonstrates the importance in developing hydrogen infrastructure in line with hydrogen vehicle development and the ultimate potential benefits of drastically reducing carbon emissions. As the market leading hydrogen producer and the global leader in the deployment of hydrogen infrastructure, the supply flexibility of our Series 100 fueling station is complemented by the different routes of economical green hydrogen that we’re developing. Our goal to introduce infrastructure alongside hydrogen vehicles with well-to-wheel emissions that are virtually zero, making a green hydrogen world not far away,” said Ian Williamson, director, Hydrogen Energy Systems–Air Products Europe.Air Products recieved ruslight

The use of hydrogen natural gas mixtures in some countries with a good gas network could be an intermediate step towards the use of pure hydrogen in fuel cells applications. In normal combustion engines the hydrogen content in the mixture contributes to faster ignition and complete combustion, maintaining the performance of the car almost unchanged compared with the use of pure natural gas. The end result is a significant  improvement in CO2 emissions and pollutants typical of combustion of hydrocarbons.

With the project – which involves the of Region Lombardy, ENI, Sapio, Centro Ricerche  Fiat, Nuova Carrozzeria Torinese and Fast (Federation of Scientific and Technological Associations) - it will be possible to verify the exact levels of environmental contribution that technology can give, especially in an urban context. Tests conducted in the laboratory are promising and if the results are confirmed by road tests they will open a path toward the hydrogen mobility by leveraging technology of the internal combustion engine.

On the same day, the president of the Region  signed an agreement with Eni  to deliver  thirty new stations by 2012, for the supply of natural gas on motorways and Lombardy’s streets. The agreement also sets up a minimum number of stations in relation to population: one station every 45 thousand inhabitants on the normal streets and one station every 30 km on highways.

Compatible with a “Smart Grid” energy system, the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station would enable users to refill their vehicle overnight without the requirement of hydrogen storage, which would lower CO2 emissions by using less expensive off-peak electrical power. During daytime peak power times, the Solar Hydrogen Station can export renewable electricity to the grid, providing a cost benefit to the customer, while remaining energy neutral.

Designed for simple, user-friendly operation, the intuitive system layout enables the user to easily lift and remove the fuel hose, with no hose coiling when the hose is returned to the dispenser unit.

Engineered for an 8-hour, slow fill for overnight refilling of a fuel cell electric vehicle, the home-use Solar Hydrogen Station would replenish the hydrogen for a typical daily driving, meeting the commuting requirements of many drivers. As with the previous generation system, the hydrogen purity from the new station meets the highest SAE (J2719) and ISO (14687) .

Already, liquefied natural gas is cheaper than diesel—if you can find it. Engineer and project developer Kjell Sandaker of Eidesvik notes there are as many as 15 such fueling stations along the Norwegian coast and the bright orange Viking Lady gases up once a week as its onboard turbines also directly burn the gas to supply electricity to the engines, though they can also burn diesel if necessary. The ship’s 220 cubic meter tank can hold roughly 90 metric tons of liquefied natural gas at a time.

All vehicles will eventually be refuelled at the first hydrogen filling station in the Netherlands. Experiments are currently taking place using a converted Subaru Impreza – rebuilt by students at HAN. However, the initiators of this project are also looking at Toyota Prius cars, as well as Mitsubishis and Fiats with electric motors and fuel cells.

The fuel cell buses are already in production at the company e-Traction. Other suppliers, such as Hygear, Air Products and VéBé van Steijn are supplying the hydrogen pump installation for the filling station, the hydrogen generator to convert methane gas into hydrogen, and the safe transport of hydrogen from the generator to the fuel cell tank.