An article in the Independent this weekend has highlighted the shortfalls of the current government energy strategy. It is an urgent wakeup call to give hydrogen a greater role, which appears to have been overlooked in favour of battery powered electric vehicles.

This position is reinforced by comments from Dr Graham Cooley, of ITM Power:

"The US and German governments have made a commitment to hydrogen. But in UK government policies there is no mention of the use of hydrogen," he says. "It is a huge and serious oversight."

"Now every car company in the world is coming out with hydrogen cars. But what has the UK done? We did the classic British thing. We picked the wrong technology."

The full article can be found here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/let-there-be-light-just-harness-hydrogen-to-make-sure-britain-keeps-the-blackouts-at-bay-2064638.html

ITM Power has been busy lining up partners to trial it's HFuel high pressure refuelling unit. The device is set to be ITM's flagship product and will bring rapid refuelling to standard road vehicles that have been converted to run on Hydrogen. The basic specification for HFuel looks very impressive, although the real proof is in the pudding as they say. The HFuel unit is expected to be launched at ITM Power's AGM and open day on the 15th September 2010.

Naturally the unit would not be much use without a hydrogen vehicle to use - this is where ITM's previous relationship with Revolve comes into play. Revolve have converted a number of Ford Transit Vans to run on hydrogen and will be providing two units for use in the trials.

The Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) are planned to begin in 2011. The format is a 1 week free trial of the HFuel unit and two HICE Ford Transits, with the option of leasing the units for an additional week(s). The demonstrations will be 100% managed and operated by ITM Power personnel, in liaison with site owners' operations and management

If the trials are a success then we may start to see more mass-produced hydrogen vehicles hitting the road. There is currently no pricing available for the HFuel unit but general sentiment seems to dictate that it will be cheaper than anything else that the market has to offer at the moment. 

HFuel Features:

• Containerised refuelling station for hydrogen vehicles
• 15Kg/day rapid cascade refuelling at 350bar
• Requires onsite water and electricity (can be renewable electricity)
• Flexible, Modular and Transportable
• Targeted at the urban commercial fleet market
• Suitable for Fuel Cell or HICE vehicles
• Future units to be availalbe in different sizes and pressures 

Current registered HOST participants:

• The Forestry commission
• London Stanstead airport
• DHL
• Camden Council
• Sheffield Council

The van in action:

The refuelling unit: