Aug 12 2008
Linde North America, a member of The Linde Group, one of the world's largest hydrogen producers, will sponsor a Hydrogen Ride + Drive event at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, August 13.
The event will run from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. It is part of a national road tour organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Dept. of Energy.
The tour is aimed at raising awareness of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel and the need to develop a U.S. hydrogen energy infrastructure. It began Monday in Portland, Maine and will make multiple stops in 17 states plus the District of Columbia before ending on August 23 in Los Angeles.
Event attendees can test drive or ride in hydrogen fueled cars, see hydrogen fueling and learn how government and industry are working together to bring this technology to U.S. roads.
“As a New Jersey company that employs over 600 people in the state, Linde is pleased to sponsor this local event. We hope it will raise awareness of the need to develop alternative energy technologies to promote a cleaner environment for New Jersey residents and for the entire country,” said Mike McGowan, head of Hydrogen Solutions for Linde North America.
For the tour, Linde is supplying green hydrogen to fuel BMW Hydrogen 7 Series cars. Linde and BMW are two of 11 participants in the tour, which includes automakers and industry associations -- the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the National Hydrogen Association.
“Linde is an expert in designing and delivering hydrogen refueling technology. We have equipped more public hydrogen refuelling stations than any other company &ndash over 70 stations in 15 countries. We also have performed over 120,000 hydrogen vehicle refuellings &ndash the most of any hydrogen supplier. We believe our participation in this tour will prove that it’s practical for average citizens to drive hydrogen cars and refuel easily,” said McGowan, who is also the chairman of the National Hydrogen Association.
Linde has the ability and expertise to handle all aspects of hydrogen energy, from production and purification to storage, distribution and fuelling. The green hydrogen Linde is supplying for this event is produced at the company’s plant in Magog, Quebec. It is derived from water and produced using renewable hydroelectric power. Linde has partnered on multiple projects with a variety of manufacturers, including automotive companies, oil producers, forklift truck and battery makers.
“This experience, combined with our global size and scale, enables us to execute projects safely and successfully. It also gives us the expertise to deliver new and sustainable energy solutions that contribute to a greener world and cleaner environment,” McGowan said.
Admission to the Ride & Drive event is free. Liberty Science Center is located at 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, N.J. Parking is available for $5 a car. Admission costs for the Science Center itself are separate and not included in the Ride & Drive. For more information about Liberty Science Center, visit www.lsc.org.