California Fuel Cell Partnership Commissions Methanol Fuel Station

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif.--April 25, 2002--The California Fuel Cell Partnership (www.cafcp.org) today celebrated the opening of its methanol fueling station, signaling arrival of the second of three planned fuels for fuel cell vehicle demonstrations to take place by 2003. The station is located at the CaFCP's West Sacramento, California fuel cell vehicle demonstration center and will provide fuel for methanol-fueled fuel cell vehicles. The first such vehicle to be made available to the CaFCP is the DaimlerChrysler NECAR 5.
    The station was dedicated during the partnership's Technology Forum, an annual "business to business" event where suppliers and developers of fuel cell technology can meet with partner representatives and present their latest technology findings.
    Don Huberts, CaFCP Chairman, and CEO for Shell Hydrogen, said the station was a new milestone for the partnership. "We are making great progress to demonstrate alternative fuels for fuel cell vehicles. The partnership's methanol station is a sign of our members' commitment to test various fuels which offer the potential to carry hydrogen to the fuel cell -- another important step towards determining the best fuel choice in the future for this environmentally friendly technology."
    The methanol station features new fueling technology developed by Identic, a Swedish firm which worked with the Methanol Fuel Cell Alliance to develop the system. The new system features anti-siphoning devices and a fixed lock between the vehicle and the fuel nozzle.
    The CaFCP has already been demonstrating hydrogen-fueled vehicles at its facility, and expects to demonstrate a cleaner form of gasoline fuel by 2003. All automakers in the partnership have agreed that the first fuel cell vehicles to be demonstrated in the marketplace will use direct hydrogen as their fuel source. However, members believe it is important to continue to research all available fuel sources.
    To date, sixteen fuel cell-powered vehicles produced by the eight automotive partners are operating in West Sacramento.
    The station was designed and built by the Methanol Fuel Cell Alliance, an industry group including CaFCP members Methanex, DaimlerChrysler, BP, and Ballard Power Systems along with industry leaders Statoil ASA and BASF AG . The liquid fuel is stored in a double-walled 2,000 gal. tank. The specialized spill-proof nozzle developed by Identic is a new refueling mechanism which offers a user-friendly system with enhanced safety features to minimize or eliminate potential fuel spills.