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New agreement puts green cars on the road to success
AN innovative green fuel company which was behind the launch of a hydrogen-powered car has teamed up with a combustion engine firm to transform British vehicles.
ITM Power, the Sheffield-based hydrogen technology and fuel cell firm which last year unveiled a home refuelling system and hydrogen-powered Ford Focus, has signed the agreement with Revolve Technologies, which modifies existing internal combustion engines and is based in Brentwood in Essex.
The Aim-listed Yorkshire firm has developed polymeric ion-conducting materials for hydrogen generation by water electrolysis – a green electrical supply with a zero carbon footprint. It works with a home refueller, which runs off a mains power supply, using electricity to break down water to release hydrogen.
Graham Cooley, chief executive of ITM, said: "We will be selling to any company that manages fleets of commercial vehicles.
"I do not aspire to be a nice little British company, (however], this is a global company for a global problem."
Dr Cooley, who joined the firm this summer after previously being business development manager for National Power and International Power and founding chief executive of Metalysis, said ITM would be going to market this year.
The agreement with Revolve, which follows a memorandum of understanding last year, with include joint marketing of refuelling infrastructure and vehicles. Dr Cooley said: "The combination of ITM's high pressure refueller unit and Revolve's elegant solution for hydrogen internal combustion engines provides a very pragmatic way to introduce low carbon vehicles which can be implemented immediately."
John Mitchell, managing director of Revolve, said: "We are delighted to further extend our relationship with ITM Power and enter into an agreement to jointly market each other's complementary products, that we believe offers a truly low carbon transport solution"
The refuelling system allows users to fill their cars from home by creating a ready supply of hydrogen, reducing trips to the petrol station. It is designed to be cheaper and more flexible for motorists because hydrogen can be produced anywhere there is electricity and a water supply.
ITM has developed a range of materials and technology to reduce the cost of hydrogen production, through electrolysis.
Last year, it launched the hydrogen-powered car at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in London.
Unlike cars powered by more expensive fuel cells, which use hydrogen gas to create electricity and drive electric motors, the Ford burns hydrogen directly in a conventional engine.
The only exhaust product is water vapour with no carbon dioxide. When the hydrogen runs out, the car reverts to petrol.
THE FUEL WITH NO TRACE
ITM Power uses electrolysers, devices which split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrical energy.
When the electrical input comes from a renewable source, the hydrogen has no carbon footprint. ITM says this is the "only practical way" to generate a zero carbon fuel.
The firm, formally set up in 2000, listed on London's Alternative Investment Market five years ago. It also works in membrane technology and hydrogen storage.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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