Praxair to supply hydrogen for R&D refueling station

Praxair Inc. of Danbury will supply the hydrogen for a research and development refueling station for vehicles in Detroit - the third in Michigan and one of several funded and operated by BP designed to work out the bugs for creating a retail hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

"We have been working with a number of different companies and government entities and industry groups for the last 10 years to help in the development of new technologies," said Susan Szita Gore, spokeswoman for Praxair.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in the Americas and one of the largest worldwide, with 2005 sales of $7.7 billion.

The Detroit hydrogen station is a collaboration of NextEnergy, a non profit alternative energy accelerator, and BP, and is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) five-year program to research and develop fuel cell vehicles and a refueling infrastructure.

"Hydrogen is flammable and has to be treated with respect," Gore said. The gas molecules are very small so special precautions and safety measures must be taken to prevent leakage. "But the industry has been producing and distributing hydrogen for decades without major incident."