The council has approved a land-use permit allowing unattended alternative fuel service stations. Not coincidentally, this comes at a time when a proposed hydrogen-cell fueling station is moving through the local planning process. The New Jersey-based Linde Group, an industrial gases conglomerate, wants to build the hydrogen fueling station on Norris Canyon Road just east of Interstate 680. It would be on a half-acre of land owned by Toyota Motor Sales USA, adjacent to a Toyota regional office facility with a Bishop Drive address.
The city's action allows such a vehicle refueling facility to operate without a human attendant. In 2010, the city banned unattended fueling stations for safety reasons. But that ordinance was directed specifically at gas stations, with their pumps susceptible to fuel spills and vandalism.
Officials acknowledged things have changed since then and that gasoline isn't the only vehicle fuel anymore. Efforts to reduce use of fossil fuels, a city staff report said, depend on making the alternative fuels more readily available.
"Many of these alternative systems rely on point-of-purchase stations to be economically viable," said Lauren Barr, a San Ramon senior planner. "So if we're going to support the rollout of some of these types of technologies, we need to be able to look at unattended fueling stations as an option."
A key factor in the council vote was that fuels such as hydrogen and compressed natural gas can't be dispensed if the nozzles aren't entirely secure on the vehicle being fueled. While gasoline can be easily spilled in the fill-up process, or intentionally dispensed where it doesn't belong, such accidents or deliberate acts are virtually impossible using hydrogen, compressed natural gas or electricity. Thus unattended stations, in theory, are now more practical and possible.
The station was described in a city staff report as being one of the first in a Bay Area network "in the support and sale of hydrogen fuel vehicles." Earlier this month, Toyota unveiled its "Mirai" hydrogen fuel cell vehicle prototype at an event in Germany.
The Linde Group, Toyota and the Bishop Ranch Business Park received a California Energy Commission development grant to help establish the San Ramon fueling station. According to the California Fuel Cell Partnership, three such public fueling stations are in the planning stages in the East Bay. Plans for a station in Hayward have been approved, and another station in Oakland is set to begin the planning process soon.
Aaron Fowles, a Toyota spokesman, said it is hoped the San Ramon hydrogen fuel station -- which will be open to the general public -- will open in spring 2016.
©2015 the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
