California earmarks $7.7m to spark hydrogen gas station expansion

The viability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles across California took a step forward this week with the announcement that the Air Resources Board (ARB) is set to make $7.7m available to support the improvement and development of hydrogen fuelling stations.

The ARB said it was inviting firms looking to construct new stations or improve existing refuelling infrastructure in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas to apply for access to the new funding before June 13th.

"We are shifting California's economy to clean energy and hydrogen plays an important role," said Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols. "The increased use of hydrogen in the transportation sector would diversify California's energy sources and reduce harmful smog-forming and climate-changing emissions."

There are currently 24 hydrogen stations operating in California and just over 200 hydrogen-powered vehicles operating throughout the state.

However, the ARB recently passed amendments to its Zero Emission Vehicle initiative, which will require car manufacturers to place 7,500 zero emission vehicles on the road by 2014. A sizable number of these are expected to be fuel cell cars and if they are top appeal to customers the current hydrogen refuelling network will need to be significantly extended.

The new funding is likely to be welcomed by auto manufacturers who have been lobbying for the state to invest more in developing a hydrogen gas infrastructure capable of manufacturing and distributing hydrogen.

Last month, General Motor's vice president for research, development and planning Larry Burns said that the company would have 1,000 fuel cell vehicles on the roads in California by 2014, but added that a major increase in the number of hydrogen refuelling stations would be required to make the technology viable for customers.