Both locations will provide hydrogen for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class fuel cell cars, which have been on trial in Singapore since May last year. The six F-Cell cars run on hydrogen, which is fed into a fuel cell together with oxygen to generate electricity. Singapore is being used for test-bedding this non-pollutive technology, which has no tailpipe emissions apart from water vapour.

BP's second hydrogen filling station is said to be the world's first standalone, unmanned hydrogen refuelling facility. It has an electrolyser which produces 10 kg of hydrogen gas a day. This is then compressed into hydrogen fuel for on-site dispensing into the fuel cell cars.

In contrast, BP's first hydrogen facility uses trucked-in gas from Jurong Island.

'This is an important milestone, not just for BP and our partners in the project, but also for the development and potential application of hydrogen itself,' said Mike Jones, general manager of BP Hydrogen.

Dr Jones said BP has opened similar stations in Australia, the UK and the US. In early 2006, the energy giant will open its first hydrogen fuelling demonstration facility in Beijing.

'These investments reflect BP's commitment to R&D into hydrogen fuel as an alternative energy source for the world. The hydrogen fuelling stations are an essential part of a global project to evaluate the possible application of hydrogen fuel cell technology and infrastructure for transport in the future,' he said.