Other regions of the world are already working on hydrogen highways. Such projects are well underway in California, for example, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared the "Hydrogen Highways Network" a major priority. In Japan, an alliance between the METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and the automakers is also advancing a hydrogen infrastructure project. The hydrogen filling station recently opened by the CEP (Clean Energy Partnership) on the Messedamm in Berlin is another step in the right direction, according to Linde.
 
The conversion to hydrogen will change little for drivers. The range of the latest hydrogen vehicles is about 450 km, which is comparable to that of conventional automobiles. Apart from the filling process itself - hydrogen is used either in the form of a compressed gas or a low-temperature liquid, depending on the storage method - hydrogen filling stations outwardly resemble conventional fuel stations. However, a design study for a filling station of the future presented by Linde at the "International Hydrogen Day" shows that things need not remain this way. It shows a connector in the floor of the vehicle through which it can be refueled while the passengers remain seated inside.
 
Hydrogen - an environmentally friendly fuel

For Linde, hydrogen is the fuel of the future. It can be used in fuel cells as well as in modified combustion engines. The only product of its combustion is pure water - no toxic substances, no carbon dioxide, no particulate matter. The most prevalent method of production today is steam reforming from natural gas. Hydrogen can also be produced by electrolysis from water or many other regenerative sources.
 
Today there are about 500 vehicles worldwide that use hydrogen as fuel; a large number of these are made by German automobile manufacturers. Audi, BMW, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Opel and Volkswagen have made test vehicles or even limited production series of vehicles that require hydrogen to power them. The first cars are already in the hands of consumers.
 
Linde CEO Reitzle called for a coalition from politics, industry and academia to advance hydrogen technology in general and specifically to further the development of regenerative methods of hydrogen production.
 
Linde is an international technology group that occupies the leading market positions in each of its two business segments: Gas and Engineering and Material Handling. With approximately 41,000 employees worldwide, Linde has an annual sales volume of about EUR 9 billion.