ITM Power joins Government’s £400m green car revolution

Sheffield-based ITM is one of 13 companies from the utility, gas, infrastructure and global car manufacturing sectors to join a project aimed at ensuring the UK is well-positioned for the commercial roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

The new programme, UKH2Mobility, will also bring the 13 companies together with three Government departments.

The project will evaluate the potential for hydrogen as a fuel for ultra-low carbon vehicles in the UK before developing an action plan for an anticipated roll-out to consumers in 2014/15.

One aim of the programme is to analyse in detail the specific UK case for the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as one of a number of solutions to de-carbonise road transport and quantify the potential emissions benefits.

ITM’s chief executive Graham Cooley said: “This is a very significant event for hydrogen in the UK. It’s all about overcoming the chicken and egg problem – you can’t roll out the cars without having the fuel.

“We have to co-ordinate this and we are going with the UK Government. We have all signed up to it, that shows a real commitment. You need that joined up thinking.

“ITM will be part of the organisation that plans the roll out. We are getting feedback about what car manufacturers want from our product.”

The programme will look at the investment needed to commercialise the technology, including refuelling infrastructure.

It will also identify what is required to make the UK a leading global player in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle manufacturing.

All of the participants have signed a memorandum of understanding to agree to share their knowledge and expertise.

Speaking at the launch of UKH2Mobility at the Royal Society in London yesterday, Business Minister Mark Prisk said: “The UK is proving itself to be a key early market for ultra-low emission vehicles, with growing numbers of electric and plug-in hybrids appearing on our roads.

“The Government is supporting this market by investing £400m to support the development, demonstration and deployment of low and ultra-low emission vehicles.”

He added that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being recognised as one of the viable options as the UK moves to a lower-carbon motoring future.

“They are highly efficient, can be fuelled in minutes, travel an equivalent range to a conventional combustion engine, and have zero tail-pipe emissions.

“The UK has a number of world-class companies that are developing exciting technologies in both the hydrogen energy and automotive value chains and it is therefore vitally important that we identify what is required to make these cars a realistic proposition for UK consumers.”

The other industry participants include car makers Nissan, Daimler, Hyundai, Toyota and Vauxhall, utility companies such as Scottish and Southern Energy and infrastructure companies such as Johnson Matthey.

Jerry Hardcastle, vice-president for vehicle design and development at Nissan, said: “This is an important step for the automotive sector towards the development of clean vehicle technologies and zero emission mobility.

“With this comprehensive list of partners we can be assured to have all the knowledge necessary to make UKH2Mobility an exhaustive and credible study.”

Kevin Michaelis, regional vice president at Air Products, said: “Working together with Government and leading car manufacturers we can support the creation of a hydrogen transport infrastructure that will dramatically cut harmful vehicle emissions and move the UK towards a zero carbon transport system.”

UKH2Mobility will deliver its evaluation of the potential of hydrogen as a transport fuel by the end of 2012.

If the results are positive, an action plan will be developed.

A leader in its field

ITM Power has developed and patented a range of ion exchange membrane materials which create hydrogen from water and electricity.

Using electricity generated from renewable power sources such as wind and solar, ITM claims to generate carbon-free power.

The only by-product from creating hydrogen is oxygen and the only by-product from burning it is water.

The company designs and manufactures hydrogen energy systems for energy storage and clean fuel production.

ITM says it has grown from its original platform to that of a technology provider.

It claims to have a strong base of intellectual property and engineering expertise.