January 2005

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General Motors and Dow Chemical Co. have launched Phase II of their joint Freeport, TX project to prove the viability of hydrogen fuel cells, operating here at Dow’s huge complex on by-product hydrogen (H&FCL March 04). The project has expanded from a single GM test fuel cell installed in February to a multi-cell pilot plant. During this second phase, the pilot plant will be integrated into Dow’s chemical and plastics production facility via the plant’s power distribution grid and Dow’s hydrogen clean-up and pipeline system. In addition to collecting real-world data, the fuel cells will supply up to 1 MW of electricity for Dow’s facilities. “The biggest benefit for GM is learning to work with real-world hydrogen that has some impurities in it, and not the pure hydrogen you get in a lab setting,” said Timothy Vail, GM’s director of business development for fuel cell activities. If Phase II is successful, Phase III will see the installation of up to 400 fuel cells at Dow to generate 35 MW of electricity. Contacts/Sources: Dow, Gina Gibbs-Foster, 713/978-3656; GM, Scott Fosgard, 586-/947-3295; Dow website, www.dow.com