Full tank of gas

A blue, Nissan X-Trail sport-utility vehicle drove off without a sound after being the first vehicle to fill its tank at the brand new hydrogen fueling station at UC Irvine, where more than 100 project collaborators, government officials and associates gathered to celebrate the facility's grand opening Tuesday morning.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District, UCI's National Fuel Cell Research Center and Air Products, an international corporation that distributes gases and chemicals for industrial use, engineered and installed the station at the corner of Jamboree Road and Campus Drive.

"This research and this technology are the epitome of addressing global climate change," said Scott Samuelsen, director of UCI's National Fuel Cell Research Center. "The next step is researching the generation of hydrogen because it has to come from somewhere, and we want to make sure it comes from the most environmentally responsible and energy efficient source."

As an alternative to gasoline, hydrogen fuel generates zero or very-low emissions of water vapor and is produced from natural gas and other non-petroleum sources, giving it the potential to curb the world's reliance on oil. The research center estimates there are between 60 and 100 hydrogen-powered vehicles in operation in Orange County, one of which is driven by Irvine Mayor Beth Krom, who spoke at the event.

Compared with other alternative energy vehicles, such as electric cars, hydrogen is the "ultimate fuel," Samuelsen said.

The auto industry is waiting until the technology matures and the proper infrastructure is in place to support hydrogen-powered automobiles before making them available on a grand scale, which he expects will occur around 2015.

Wayne Nastri, a regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said the Bush administration is committed to weaning the nation off petroleum as an energy resource, and that Tuesday's event marked an important moment in the transition toward a hydrogen economy.

"With hydrogen, you can have the transportation so many Americans want, and you can do it in a clean way," he said. "This event represents a vision of cleaner energy and a way we can continue to maintain economic competitiveness and still protect the environment."