ChevronTexaco Launches Hydrogen Energy Station

CHINO, Calif. -- ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures LLC (CTTV), a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco Corp., unveiled its first Chevron Hydrogen energy station at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center in Chino, Calif.

The hydrogen energy station is part of a five-year U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cost-sharing program designed to demonstrate safe, practical hydrogen technologies in real-world settings. CTTV is leading the project in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Co. and UTC Fuel Cells.

"The Chevron Hydrogen energy station is a glimpse into the future of distributed energy with hydrogen production on site to fuel a small fleet of Hyundai's Tucson fuel cell demonstration vehicles powered by UTC Fuel Cells," said Dr. Donald Paul, ChevronTexaco's vice president and chief technology officer. "ChevronTexaco's practical and cost-effective approach to producing hydrogen, where it is consumed, differs from other projects that have fuel delivered to their stations."

"Projects like this one are very important. Learning demonstrations like this station are an extension of our research and provide critical data to help ensure that future research is focused on the most important barriers," added David K. Garman, DOE's assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. "We will demonstrate and measure technology progress towards the goal of hydrogen fuel at costs competitive with gasoline and fuel-cell vehicles with the affordability and reliability of today's cars."

CTTV provides proprietary technology to convert hydrocarbon feedstocks, such as natural gas, into hydrogen. This proprietary technology can be integrated into a hydrogen fueling and power system to support hydrogen powered fleets and to provide clean electric power. The Chino site is designed for fleets only and does not include a stationary fuel cell. Future full-scale hydrogen energy stations could be designed to include a stationary fuel cell to generate ultra clean power.

The first vehicle demonstrated at the site was driven by race car driver Mario Andretti, who drove up in one of Hyundai's Tucson fuel-cell SUVs to show how fueling stations of the future may operate.

In other ChevronTexaco news, in an effort to improve literacy among children in Bakersfield, Calif., the company stated on Tuesday that it is contributing $600,000 to the Preschool Literacy Project -- Building Blocks to Reading Success, a program sponsored by the Bakersfield City School District (BCSD), California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) and Houghton Mifflin.

"It's clear that positive early childhood experiences set the stage for lifelong success -- in the classroom and beyond," said ChevronTexaco San Joaquin Valley Business Unit Vice President Warner Williams. "We're proud to support programs like the Preschool Literacy Project that deliver sustained benefits to the Bakersfield community."