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ITM Power opens seventh hydrogen refuelling station at Johnson Matthey's Swindon site on M4 Corridor

06 November 2021

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, and Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT), a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world, are pleased to announce the opening of ITM Power’s seventh public access hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) located at Johnson Matthey, Swindon on the M4 corridor.

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, and Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT), a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world, are pleased to announce the opening of ITM Power’s seventh public access hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) located at Johnson Matthey, Swindon on the M4 corridor. The opening is being supported by Toyota, Hyundai and Honda who will also present and participate in a Q&A session. Attendees will also be able to experience a zero emission journey in a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Ride and Drive which will be available at the opening.

About the new M4 Swindon Hydrogen Refuelling Station:
The new Swindon HRS is ITM Power’s seventh public access HRS and joins Cobham on the M25, Beaconsfield on the M40, Rainham in Essex on the A13, Teddington in London, Rotherham on the M1 and Kirkwall in Orkney. Located at Johnson Matthey in Swindon, which is home to the company’s fuel cell component manufacturing facility, the new HRS lies just off the M4 linking South Wales with London. It is now open for public and private fleets operating fuel cell electric vehicles. The station uses electricity via a renewable energy contract and water to generate hydrogen on-site with no need for deliveries.

The Pan European H2ME2 project:
The new HRS is the first of two stations in the UK to be deployed as part of the pan European H2ME2 project, which was funded by the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) and the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). A further station to be deployed by ITM Power under H2ME1 will be located at Gatwick Airport and will be opened before the end of this year.

UK Government’s Commitment to Hydrogen Vehicle Roll Out
On 11 September at the ‘Zero Emission Vehicle Summit’ in Birmingham, Prime Minister Theresa May outlined the UK Government’s “Road to Zero Strategy” which includes funding of £1.5 billion for ultra-low-emission vehicles by 2020. At the event, the Prime Minister also announced more than £100 million of funding for innovators in ultra-low-emission vehicles and hydrogen technology. The Road to Zero Strategy is the most comprehensive plan globally – mapping out in detail how the UK will reach its target for all new cars and vans to be, effectively, zero emission by 2040 – and for every car and van to be zero emission by 2050.

Commenting on the award of grant funding, Bart Biebuyck, Executive Director of the FCH JU said: “I would like to congratulate the consortium for the opening of the first HRS station in the UK, deployed as part of the H2ME2 project. The importance of the H2ME projects comes in part from their aim to bring together national hydrogen transport initiatives, which vary in aim and scope. By supporting them, the FCH JU demonstrates the potential of hydrogen-fuelled road transport as a pan-European solution to the need for viable and competitive alternatives to fossil fuels.”

Dr Graham Cooley, CEO, ITM Power, commented: “We are extremely pleased to have launched our seventh hydrogen refuelling station. ITM Power is grateful for the co-operation of our H2ME2 partners and for the funding support of FCHJU and OLEV. We are again collaborating with local stakeholders to develop a significant FCEV fleet around the new station.”

Matthew Harwood, Group Strategy Director, Johnson Matthey, commented: “There’s no doubt that hydrogen will be part of our energy mix going forward and we are delighted that ITM’s seventh refuelling station is located at our site in Swindon. JM has a great heritage in the development of fuel cell technologies, as well as in the catalysts and technologies for the large scale production of hydrogen. At JM we apply our science to making a cleaner, healthier world; our fuel cell technology, where hydrogen is converted electrochemically to clean power, is an important enabler in the journey to zero emission transport and pollution free roads.”

Paul Van der Burgh, Toyota (GB) PLC President and Managing Director, said: “The opening of this new ITM Power facility establishes a valuable, strategic link in the development of the UK’s hydrogen fuel infrastructure. We welcome it not only as a benefit for drivers of the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric saloon, but also as another step towards realising the wider benefits of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy source in the future – a key mission for Toyota globally.”

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO Hyundai Motor UK said “As the demand for zero emission vehicles of all types is increasing at a rapid rate, it’s imperative that the necessary infrastructure is deployed at a pace that matches. For Hyundai, the opening of the 7th station from ITM shows a clear and timely commitment to hydrogen deployment from both the public and private sector as we prepare for the imminent UK launch of NEXO, our next generation fuel cell electric vehicle”

Thomas Brachmann, Chief Project Engineer, Automobile Powertrain & Material Research Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) commented: “The opening of the new hydrogen refuelling station in Swindon is an important step for the UK’s infrastructure, as it now enables travel along the M4 corridor to the M25. This will further enhance the uptake of hydrogen vehicles and will help our Clarity Fuel Cell drivers in the UK with the knowledge that there is increased hydrogen refuelling capacity available.”

Dawn Brooks, Market Specialist, Anglo American commented: “As one of the world’s leading suppliers of platinum group metals (PGMs), we see platinum-containing hydrogen powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), as an important innovation. We believe hydrogen and FCEVs will play an important role in a low-carbon transport future and we continue to support the development of the technology and the expansion of supporting infrastructure.”

For further information, please visit www.itm-power.com or contact:

ITM Power plc
+44 (0)114 244 5111
Graham Cooley, CEO

Investec Bank plc (Nominated Adviser and Broker)
+44 (0)20 7597 5970
Jeremy Ellis / Chris Sim / Alexander Ruffman

Tavistock (Financial PR and IR)
+44 (0)20 7920 3150
Simon Hudson / Nick Elwes / Barney Hayward

About ITM Power plc:
ITM Power manufactures integrated hydrogen energy solutions for grid balancing, energy storage and the production of green hydrogen for transport, renewable heat and chemicals. ITM Power was admitted to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in 2004. In September 2017 the Company announced the completion of a GBP29.4m working capital fundraise. The Company signed a forecourt siting agreement with Shell for hydrogen refuelling stations in September 2015 and subsequently a deal to deploy a 10MW electrolyser at Shell’s Rhineland refinery. The company entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Sumitomo Corporation in July 2018 for the development of multi-megawatt projects in Japan. Additional customers and partners include National Grid, Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, RWE, Engie, BOC Linde, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Anglo American among others.

About Johnson Matthey:
Johnson Matthey is a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world. With over 200 years of sustained commitment to innovation and technological breakthroughs, we improve the function, performance and safety of our customers’ products. Our science has a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet’s natural resources. Today more than 14,000 Johnson Matthey professionals collaborate with our network of customers and partners to make a real difference to the world around us.

About H2ME2:
Hydrogen Mobility Europe 2 (H2ME 2) brings together action in 8 European countries to address the innovations required to make the hydrogen mobility sector truly ready for market. The project will perform a large-scale market test of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, passenger and commercial fuel cell electric vehicles operated in real-world customer applications and demonstrate the system benefits generated by using electrolytic hydrogen solutions in grid operations. H2ME 2 will increase the participation of European manufacturers into the hydrogen sector, and demonstrate new vehicles across a range of platforms, with increased choice: new cars (Honda, and Daimler), new vans (range extended vehicles from Renault/Symbio and Renault/Nissan) and a new medium sized urban delivery truck (Renault Trucks/Symbio). H2ME 2 develops an attractive proposition around range extended vehicles and supports a major roll-out of 1,000 of these vehicles to customers in France, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. 1,230 new hydrogen fuelled vehicles will be deployed in total, trebling the existing fuel cell fleet in Europe. H2ME 2 will establish the conditions under which electrolytic refuelling stations can play a beneficial role in the energy system, and demonstrate the acquisition of real revenues from provision of energy services for aggregated electrolyser-HRS systems at a MW scale in both the UK and France. This has the further implication of demonstrating viable opportunities for reducing the cost of hydrogen at the nozzle by providing valuable energy services without disrupting refuelling operations. H2ME 2 will test 20 new HRS rigorously at high level of utilisation using the large vehicle deployment. The loading of stations by the end of the project is expected to average 20% of their daily fuelling capacity, with some stations exceeding 50% or more. This will test the HRS to a much greater extent than has been the case in previous projects.

This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 700350. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe Research and Hydrogen Europe.

About FCHJU:
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking 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; the fuel cell and hydrogen industries, represented by Hydrogen Europe; and the research community, represented by research grouping Hydrogen Europe Research.

About Anglo American
Anglo American is a global diversified mining business and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive mining operations and undeveloped resources provides the metals and minerals to meet the growing consumer-driven demands of the world’s developed and maturing economies. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and mine, process, move and market our products to our customers around the world. As a responsible miner – of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum and other precious metals, iron ore, coal and nickel – we are the custodians of what are precious natural resources. We work together with our key partners and stakeholders to unlock the sustainable value that those resources represent for our shareholders, the communities and countries in which we operate and for society at large. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives.

About OLEV
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is a team working across government to support the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV). We are providing over £900 million to position the UK at the global forefront of ULEV development, manufacture and use. This will contribute to economic growth and will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution on our roads.

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