Hychain

Using hydrogen as a vector of energy is a promising alternative solution. Used in a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, with water as the only emission. A fabulous potential source of renewable energy, clean and silent, to fuel the cars of the future.

The European Commission has launched, in January 2006, the Hychain project, coordinated by Air Liquide. Objective: full-scale testing of 158 urban vehicles electrically-powered by a fuel cell using hydrogen in four regions of Europe: scooters, tricycles, wheelchairs, small utility vehicles and minibuses.

This concerns dedicated fleets belonging to municipal departments of partner towns, as well as wheelchairs in circulation in partnership with some hospitals: 

• Rhône-Alpes region in France (the greater urban community of Grenoble Alpes Métropole),
• Emilia Romagnain Italy (town of Modena), 
• Castillay Leónin Spain (towns of Soria and León) 
• Nordrhein Westfalenin Germany (the greater urban community of the Emscher Lippe region).

To fuel these vehicles with hydrogen simply and safely, the Hychain project will also cover the development of innovative logistics: vending machines will make it possible to recharge the vehicle’s hydrogen fuel cell by replacing an empty cylinder of hydrogen with a full cylinder of hydrogen under very high pressure (up to 700 bar) in complete safety, thanks to the Clip-on technologies developed and patented by Air Liquide. The autonomy of these new clean "hybrid" vehicles is therefore tripled.

The fuel cell is a break through innovation: the public will learn to "do things differently". That is why Air Liquide is taking part in projectsand events to increase public awareness of the use of alternative energies such as hydrogen. Hychain, for example, promotes the societal aspects of hydrogen energy, related to safety, training and public acceptance of innovation.

This project, which will take place over a 5-yeartimeframe, consists of two phases: 

• 2006 and 2007 will be spent on manufacturing vehicles and developing the infrastructure for hydrogen distribution, 
• from 2008 to 2010, the vehicles will be tested in the four regions under actual conditions of use.
  

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