Permitting Officials Attend Fueling Station, Fuel Cell Workshop
Kyle Gibeault, National Hydrogen Association
On May 15-16, permitting officials from New York and New Jersey met in Teaneck, NJ for a workshop on permitting hydrogen fueling stations and telecommunications projects that have fuel cells for backup power. The DOE/NASFM/NREL/NHA/USFCC workshop involved approximately 30 fire marshals, fire safety officials, and building code officials, in addition to several representatives from the telecommunications and automotive industries.
The workshop was the second in a series of planned regional workshops conducted to obtain the input of key permitting officials as to how the permitting process for hydrogen fueling stations and telecommunications applications can be improved and more cost-effective.
A major objective of the workshop was to familiarize permitting officials with hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and the appropriate codes and standards applicable to the permitting process. Bob Davidson of Davidson Code Concepts opened the technical program with detailed primers on hydrogen as a fuel and how fuel cells operate. Paul Buehler of Plug Power and Mark Cohen of ReliOn provided presentations on their experiences with getting telecommunications projects permitted.
Michael Paritee of General Motors discussed fuel cell vehicles and fueling station permitting from the perspective of the automotive industry. Workshop participants had the opportunity to “kick the tires” of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered Chevy Equinox, courtesy of General Motors.
Later on the first day of the workshop, the permitting officials were organized into breakout teams to review four “case studies”: two hydrogen fueling station projects and two telecommunications projects that have been permitted or are likely to be proposed in the near term. Each team included building, fire safety, and electrical permitting officials. In reviewing each project, each team provided many specific comments and critiques that will be available in the workshop final report. Their review of the projects continued on the second day up until noon.
Links to workshop presentations are below. Information about upcoming workshops will be provided in future editions of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Safety Report.
|
