Servco Pacific Inc. (Servco) broke ground today on Oahu’s first publicly accessible hydrogen station, marking the company’s commitment to the future of mobility through alternative energy vehicles in Hawaii. The station, which is fully funded by Servco, will be located at Servco’s corporate offices in Mapunapuna, and is expected to be completed and opened in early 2018.
“Our construction of Oahu’s first publicly accessible hydrogen station demonstrates our belief in the potential for fuel cell vehicles in Hawaii,” said Mark Fukunaga, chairman and CEO of Servco Pacific Inc. “The future of transportation uses the latest technology to minimize environmental impact while maintaining convenience and comfort. Hydrogen vehicles offer zero carbon emissions and zero compromise on fast refueling and driving range.”
The hydrogen station will be able to produce up to 20 kg of hydrogen daily – enough for four fuel cell vehicle fill-ups. The station will create hydrogen on-site by electrolyzing water.
With the station’s high-pressure dispenser, a hydrogen fill-up will take approximately five minutes, which is comparable to refueling a car with gas. To fill up, the driver connects the dispenser to the car’s receptacle and engages the nozzle lock to form sealed connection with the vehicle. The station and vehicle’s onboard computers perform a system check and then begin the flow of hydrogen gas. When the tank is full, the dispenser stops, and the driver unlocks the nozzle and places it back on the pump.
Servco anticipates that the hydrogen station will be used by future owners of fuel cell vehicles such as the Toyota Mirai, the company’s first full-production fuel cell vehicle. The Toyota Mirai has a total EPA estimated range of 312 miles on a full tank of hydrogen, with a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of 66 mpge, making the Mirai the most fuel-efficient hydrogen fuel cell vehicle rated by the EPA, and one with the largest range.
Servco brought the first Mirai production vehicles to Hawaii in 2016. Hawaii was the second state in the U.S. to receive the Mirai, after California.