As the world's demand for energy increases, Chevron is researching new energy sources and alternative fuels, including hydrogen.
Hydrogen — a tasteless, odorless, colorless gas — is the most abundant element on Earth. However, it is not found freely in nature and must be extracted from other substances, such as water or natural gas. As a result, there are substantial technical hurdles to producing, storing and distributing hydrogen.
For decades, Chevron has been producing hydrogen — more than 1 million kilograms per day — for industrial use in our refineries. We also are recognized for our expertise in catalysis and reforming, processes that allow hydrocarbons to be tailored for specific uses. So researching hydrogen as a transportation fuel is a natural extension of what we already do.
We recognize that hydrogen is not currently competitive with conventional fuels. We are investing in and further developing technologies that can make it more competitive. Technical breakthroughs are needed before hydrogen can emerge as a viable transportation fuel. That's why we're taking a practical approach to our research.
Chevron Technology Ventures operates five hydrogen demonstration stations throughout the United States. At each station, we produce hydrogen onsite, where it is used to power specialty fleets of fuel cell vehicles, hybrid electric fuel cell vehicles and internal combustion engines.
Each station is the result of collaboration between Chevron Technology Ventures, government and other industry. During this research stage, we are producing hydrogen from widely available resources, such as hydrocarbons and water. Currently, this is the most efficient, cost-effective way to make hydrogen in the quantity needed to supply a small vehicle fleet.
Chevron operates five hydrogen energy demonstration stations in the United States:
- Chino, California – We installed a small-scale demonstration station that converts natural gas into hydrogen, which is then compressed, purified, stored and dispensed into fuel cell vehicles.
- Oakland, California – We collaborated with AC Transit, one of the state's largest public transit agencies, to design and build a demonstration hydrogen energy station to provide high-quality fuel for hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid-electric buses and fuel cell cars.
- Rosemead, California – This station, at Southern California Edison headquarters, is designed to produce hydrogen using water electrolysis to convert city water into purified hydrogen for a small fleet of demonstration vehicles.
- Orlando, Florida – A Chevron hydrogen station fuels internal combustion engine buses used around the Orlando International Airport and the Orange County Convention Center.
- Selfridge, Michigan – At the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, we are using our advanced technologies to convert natural gas into purified hydrogen where it is then compressed, stored and dispensed into vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells. In 2008, we began field trials for our second hydrogen production unit at the Selfridge site.
Updated: March 2009