News
Hydrogen Vehicle Rally and Launch of Solar Hydrogen Refuelling Station in London
28 October 2021
ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to have officially launched its third public access hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) and the second HRS in London at the Centre of Engineering Manufacturing Excellence CEME, in Rainham East London. The HRS was opened to the public by Bill Williams, CEO of CEME and Prof Roger Putnam CBE, Chairman of ITM Power. The opening was supported by the automotive OEMs, who also presented and participated in a Q&A session.
ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to have officially launched its third public access hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) and the second HRS in London at the Centre of Engineering Manufacturing Excellence CEME, in Rainham East London. The HRS was opened to the public by Bill Williams, CEO of CEME and Prof Roger Putnam CBE, Chairman of ITM Power. The opening was supported by the automotive OEMs, who also presented and participated in a Q&A session.
The station is the first of its kind using solar energy from a solar PV array at CEME to make renewable hydrogen on-site and is the second of three UK stations to be deployed as part of the pan European HyFive project, which was funded by the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) and the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).
Located at CEME in Rainham, at the heart of the Thames Gateway, the HRS lies just off the A13, linking London City Airport and the M25, and is now available for public and private fleets operating fuel cell electric vehicles.
Preceding the station opening, a Hydrogen Rally took place to the finishing line at the CEME HRS from two locations, with journalists and transport industry commentators, some of whom became the first to make the 186 mile drive from a wind hydrogen station in S. Yorkshire to the solar hydrogen station, demonstrating how excess renewable energy can be used and stored as hydrogen gas to refuel fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in three minutes.
A second rally commenced at ITM Power's hydrogen station in Teddington, West London, crossing central London to CEME and highlighting zero emission driving across the Capital's Low Emission Zone. In total 11 FCEVs took part, provided by automotive OEMs Toyota, Hyundai and Symbio FCell Renault and vehicle owners JCB, Anglo American, Johnson Matthey, Green Tomato Cars and ITM Power.
Bill Williams, CEO, The Centre of Engineering Manufacturing Excellence CEME "As London's Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, CEME is very proud to be able to offer a site for this hydrogen fuel station and utilise our solar energy to make a fuel for vehicles. It is perfectly located to offer a clean hydrogen source for London and improve air quality for London".
Paul Van der Burgh, Toyota (GB) PLC President and Managing Director, welcomed the opening of ITM Power's new filling station. He said: "This new facility demonstrates the growing momentum in the development of a new hydrogen fuel infrastructure in the UK. This is good news for customers who are keen to adopt the new technology and for the manufacturers of zero-emissions fuel cell vehicles, such as our own Mirai saloon."
Sue Graham Johnston, Managing Director, BOC UK, Ireland and Africa said: "BOC is proud to continue to work with ITM Power in the development of a hydrogen refuelling network in the UK. This is the third deployment of our innovative refuelling station technology with ITM Power this year, with the installation at CEME (Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence) another milestone in making hydrogen a truly accessible clean fuel in and around London".
Richard Kemp-Harper, Head of Innovation and Business Development, Arcola Energy: "Arcola Energy are excited to have demonstrated the clean emission "business as usual" journey across central London in a Symbio FCell Kangoo. The route between ITM Power's latest hydrogen refuelling stations shows how commercial fleets can operate within and around central London without compromise. This enables London and further cities to meet their business, climate and air quality emissions and presents a solution for improving air quality in direct competition to the incumbent diesel powered vehicles".
Julia Thomas, Managing Director, Green Tomato Cars, added: "We are delighted to have another hydrogen fuel station open to support our small fleet of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. We have found the stations easy to use and our customers really enjoy riding in a hydrogen vehicle producing zero emissions."
Dr Graham Cooley, CEO, ITM Power, commented: "We are extremely pleased to have launched the second of the Company's HyFive hydrogen refuelling stations in London providing a link across the city for a range of hydrogen vehicles now available from the auto OEMs. The hydrogen rally was a great way of demonstrating the benefits of these vehicles for both longer commutes and throughout the city. ITM Power is grateful for the co-operation of our HyFive partners and for the funding support of FCHJU and OLEV".
For further information, please visit www.itm-power.com or contact:
ITM Power plc
+44 (0)114 244 5111
Graham Cooley, CEO
Zeus Capital
+44 (0)20 7533 7727
Dan Bate / John Treacy / John Goold
Tavistock
+44 (0)20 7920 3150
Simon Hudson / James Collins
About ITM Power plc
ITM Power manufactures integrated hydrogen energy solutions which are rapid response and high pressure that meet the requirements for grid balancing and energy storage services, and for the production of clean fuel for transport, renewable heat and chemicals. ITM Power plc was admitted to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in 2004 and raised its initial funding of £10m gross in its IPO. Further funding rounds of £28.5m in 2006, £5.4m in 2012, £2m in 2013 and £10m in 2014 have been completed. The company received £4.9m as a strategic investment from JCB in March 2015. The Group currently has £16.55m of projects under contract and £2.14m of contracts in the final stages of negotiation totalling £18.69m, subject to exchange rate variation.
About HyFIVE
Hydrogen For Innovative Vehicles (HyFIVE) is an ambitious European project including 15 partners who will deploy 185 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) from BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. To serve these vehicles, the project will create clusters of refuelling station networks in three parts of Europe, where six new stations (Danish Hydrogen Fuel, ITM Power and OMV) will be deployed linking them with 12 existing stations.
About FCH JU
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a unique public private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. Its aim is to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realising their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-lean energy system. The three members of the FCH JU are the European Commission, fuel cell and hydrogen industries represented by the NEW Industry Grouping and the research community represented by Research Grouping N.ERGHY
About OLEV
The HRS Infrastructure Grants Scheme was launched on the 2nd February 2015 by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to support roll out of hydrogen infrastructure networks in the UK with the specific aim of encouraging the introduction of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). The HRS Infrastructure Grants Scheme will provided grant funding for selected infrastructure projects seeding development of hydrogen for road transport in the UK.
About CEME
The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) is a world class industry-led skills, education and business park in London. A registered independent charity, CEME's purpose is to provide an inspirational environment for learning and business growth. CEME provides services to a wide range of employers across all sectors with a specialist focus on the manufacturing, engineering, science and technology sectors.
Located in the heart of the Thames Gateway, CEME offers flexible, modern and well-equipped workshops and offices, a high quality conference centre, an innovation centre and small business accelerator offering customer business support workspaces and services aimed at supporting CEME customers to grow their business ventures faster.
CEME is the blueprint of the type of institution needed to help the Government meet its aspirations on skills and engineering education and business and employment growth in the UK technology sector. It is already successfully delivering business-led apprentice programmes and works closely with a range of organisations to identify training needs in the manufacturing, engineering, science and technology sectors that are crucial to the future success of the UK economy - at no cost to the UK taxpayer.