According to a report on the Green Optimistic Web site, the station includes a small-scale power plant for converting the gas into hydrogen, which is stored in compressed form.
The hydrogen fuel is then fed through a special hose, just like ordinary LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and then converted in energy by means of fuel cell technology in the cars.
The opening of the station is the latest in a serious of moves across Europe transforming the traditional refuelling station.
In July, Acta, an Italian company, said it plans to install a string of hydrogen refuelling station across Italy over the next 12 to 18 months.
The stations, which are being developed with Girelli Bruni SpA, will use solar power to perform electrolysis on water and extract the hydrogen.
In September Germany announced plans to create a countrywide hydrogen fuel network by 2015.
Eight companies -- Daimler, EnBW, Linde, OMV, Shell, Total, Vattenfall and the NOW GmbH National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology – will collaborate on the new refuelling network, which are slated to be developed in two phases.
During the first phase, the companies will lobby for public support for the plan and begin installing the refuelling stations.
Then, during the second phase, German automakers will being a mass roll-out of hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Hydrogen is seen as having several advantages over traditional fuels, including greater efficiency and the fact that its by-products are water and heat, as opposed to greenhouse gas emissions.
However, at present, refuelling stations like the one an Arnhem have only limited capacity. The only current customers the station has are students who are developing hydrogen vehicle projects at the Hogeschool Arnhem and Nijmegen.
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