Hydrogen for the future. (Updates).The road to tomorrow's fuel-cell cars now includes a stop for drivers to fill up their tanks. The first commercial hydrogen fueling station opened on the outskirts of Reykjavik, Iceland Iceland, Icel. Ísland, officially Republic of Iceland, republic (2005 est. pop. 297,000), 39,698 sq mi (102,819 sq km), the westernmost state of Europe, occupying an island in the Atlantic Ocean just S of the Arctic Circle, c. last April. The new station marks a step forward in providing critical infrastructure for fuel-cell transportation (see "The Coming Hydrogen Economy," cover story, January/February 2003). Shell's Icelandic distributor, Skeljungur, and Shell Hydrogen jointly developed the commercial site at an existing gas station. The electricity required to produce the hydrogen on location is obtained from natural geothermal ge·o·ther·mal also ge·o·ther·mic adj. Of or relating to the internal heat of the earth. ge and hydroelectric energy sources. While there is no lineup A criminal investigation technique in which the police arrange a number of individuals in a row before a witness to a crime and ask the witness to identify which, if any, of the individuals committed the crime. at the pump these days, officials hope the station will jumpstart jump´start` v. t. 1. To start (the engine of a motor vehicle) using a temporary connection to supply electrical power from another vehicle or another source of current; - an emergency procedure used when a vehicle's own battery has new public interest. In September, three DaimlerChrysler fuel-cell buses will begin operating in Reykjavik, using the station to refuel re·fu·el v. re·fu·eled also re·fu·elled, re·fu·el·ing also re·fu·el·ling, re·fu·els also re·fu·els v.tr. To supply again with fuel. v.intr. every 125 miles. The total cost of the project, including the three buses, runs just under $8 million. CONTACT: Fuel Cells 2000, (202)785-4222, www.fuel cells.org. |
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