Energy
Hydrogen

UK’s first commercial scale green hydrogen refuelling facility opens ... October 2014

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

UK’s first commercial scale green hydrogen refuelling facility opens

The UK’s first commercial scale solar-powered hydrogen production and refuelling facility officially opens as Sainsbury's plans supermarket forecourt hydrogen dispenser.

The new state-of-the-art facility is located at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing site on the outskirts of Swindon.

Located at the Honda UK Manufacturing site on the outskirts of Swindon, the facility will produce commercial volumes of what is claimed to be “truly ‘green” hydrogen produced from solar power, by electrolysis, at the point of use. In addition, the station will employ filling technology from BOC to serve a range of uses including the world’s first hybrid vans running on sustainable biodiesel and hydrogen, the UK’s first hydrogen powered fork-lift trucks - and even a hydrogen-powered and heated Education Centre on the site.

The new facility has been integrated into the existing hydrogen refuelling station, which opened in September 2011. It is hoped that this facility will be a benchmark for other refuelling stations to follow as well as reinforce the UK’s attractiveness as a location for major car manufacturers to roll out fuel cell vehicles and encourage the growth of a national refuelling infrastructure.

The station will fuel the UK’s first hydrogen powered fork-lift trucks. The station will fuel the UK’s first hydrogen powered fork-lift trucks.

The Consortium behind the facility includes BOC, Honda, Commercial Group, Swindon Borough Council, Fuel Cell Systems, Briggs Equipment and Revolve, who worked together to secure funding from the Technology Strategy Board - now the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK - and to design and commission the facility.

Jason Smith, director at Honda of the UK Manufacturing, said: “This project is absolutely aligned with Honda Motor’s Environmental Vision: Striving to realise the joy of freedom of mobility and a sustainable society where people can enjoy life. Through this project we, as a consortium, have made great advances in proving the commercial viability of truly ‘green’ hydrogen for a wide range of applications. We at Honda here in Swindon feel extremely privileged to be a part of this consortium and to host the facility on our site.”

Nick Rolf, BOC’s Innovation Manager – Hydrogen systems, commented: “This enhancement to our refuelling station clearly positions this facility as the best in class in the UK. No other facility in the UK has the capacity to refuel vehicles with ‘green‘ high purity hydrogen on a commercial scale and this now cements Swindon’s position as the key location for fuel cell vehicle introduction.

Sainsbury’s to open UK's first supermarket forecourt hydrogen dispenser

The hydrogen SmartFuel station dispenser. The hydrogen SmartFuel station dispenser.

The opening of the facility comes in the same week that retailer, Sainsbury’s, announced the UK’s first supermarket forecourt hydrogen dispenser. The dispenser will be located at its Hendon store by the end of the year. Working with hydrogen infrastructure company, Air Products, the SmartFuel® station will be able to fuel a growing number of hydrogen-powered fleets driving.

Hydrogen powered vehicles’ only by product is water, with little sacrifice to transport performance: they can refuel in less than three minutes and offer drivers the same range and speed as conventional vehicles.

Diana Raine, Air Products’ Hydrogen Energy Business Manager said: “Making hydrogen technology available at a supermarket for the first time is another big step in encouraging the use of cleaner, greener fuels to reduce air pollution and protect the nation’s health. We’re already leading the charge with a network of hydrogen stations across London and this additional station will set us in good stead for the UK arrival of commercially available hydrogen vehicles over the next few years.”

Owned and operated by Air Products, the 700-bar SmartFuel® station is being delivered as part of the London Hydrogen Network Expansion (LHNE) project, backed by UK government and also co-funded by Innovate UK.