Lessons from early hydrogen refuelling stations


Hydrogen refuelling infrastructure has reached a critical learning stage, with early station deployments revealing insights into elements of station design, integration, and operation that could improve future developments.

Tom Phillips, Production Engineering Manager at diaphragm compression system maker PDC Machines, told H2 View that early stations were designed with high utilisation in mind, but lower than expected usage and system complexity led to various challenges.

“I think we, as an industry, tried to go very quickly into automobiles,” he said. “But I think the equipment manufacturers were not really suited for that.”

He explained that many of the components and sub-systems that make up refuelling stations are often repurposed from other industries. And while they can work for hydrogen refuelling, poor system integration and the sporadic nature of car refuelling led to stations going offline.

... to continue reading you must be subscribed

Subscribe Today

Paywall Asset Header Graphic

To gain access to this article and all our other content, you will need to subscribe to H2 View.

From the latest print editions, to 24/7 online access to exclusive interviews, authoritative columnists and the H2 View news archive, a subscription is the best way for you to stay up to date with developments in the hydrogen community.