Northern California Opens First Retail Hydrogen Station

Ramos Oil opens region’s first public hydrogen pumps today, to much fanfare.

December 10, 2014

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – New gas stations come and go all the time, but one new location is garnering an unusual amount of attention today, including ribbon-cutting and a half-dozen dignitaries in attendance. Ramos Oil will become the first retail hydrogen refueling station in Northern California when it officially turns on the pumps this morning.

While it’s the state’s 10th hydrogen station, it’s first in the nation to use advanced technology from Linde North America Inc. At the heart of the hydrogen fueling system is Linde’s ionic compressor – which, it says, enables higher throughput and enhanced back-to-back fueling. For NACS member Ramos, hydrogen represents another fuel in its inventory of gasoline, diesel, bio-diesel, ethanol-85, methanol and racing fuels.

The station will offer tours, with some visitors getting to test drive fuel cell-powered vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Nissan and Toyota. By 2016, more than 50 hydrogen stations will be open throughout California, with most going into existing gas stations.

For more on the alternative fuels market in California and throughout the United States, read NACS Daily coverage of the recent Fuels Institute Annual Summit here and here.

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