The UK's first hydrogen refuelling station has opened in Swindon.
The press release describes this as a “joint” effort between the British Oxygen Company, the Forward Swindon Economy Initiative and Honda, whose fuel cell powered family saloon, the FCX, is a fantastic car that has featured many times in the UK columns.
Honda hopes the station will serve as an example of the kind of public-private partnership needed to roll out the infrastructure needed to support its hydrogen vehicles across the country.
Honda, if you are looking to do this by relying on PPPs, I think you will be sadly disappointed as the oil lobby is doing everything in its power to obstruct the rollout. This is exactly the type of infrastructure that should be funded by Treasury issued credits.do not have They can get loans from the Bank of England at no interest cost to commercial banks.
The text of the press release is as follows:
Hydrogen refuelling station opens at Honda in Swindon
The UK's first open access station for hydrogen vehicles20 September 2011 – The UK's first open access hydrogen vehicle refuelling station has officially opened at the Honda manufacturing plant in Swindon. Built and operated by industrial gases company BOC, part of the Linde Group, the operation is the result of a partnership between Honda, BOC and economic development company Forward Swindon.
The new station is open to anyone developing or using a hydrogen vehicle and can fill up cars at both 350 bar and 700 bar, the two standard filling pressures adopted by the world's leading car manufacturers.
The station will be based at Honda of the UK manufacturing site in Swindon and aims to facilitate the development of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, such as the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, and the supporting refuelling infrastructure.
It will also create a strategic link at the midpoint of the M4 between London and Swansea. As a fully operational commercial-scale station using proven technology, the solution is replicable across the country, creating a network that is vital for the widespread introduction of hydrogen-fuelled transport.
Among the new station's many innovations is that vehicles can be filled continuously from a bank of hydrogen cylinders, meaning vehicles can be filled with hydrogen one after the other without having to wait for the hydrogen to be produced.
Another feature is the design: it looks exactly like a traditional gas station and the time to refuel a car is similar to traditional fuel – for example, it takes less than five minutes for a Honda FCX Clarity. This means that for the consumer, the experience will be almost the same as refueling at a regular gas station.
Opening the facility, Richard Kemp Harper, Chief Engineer for Transport and Energy at the Technology Strategy Board, said: “The change from traditional transport systems to sustainable, low-carbon alternatives can only be achieved by business and government working together to develop innovative solutions. This new refuelling station provides a glimpse of the role hydrogen can play in practice – it's a great example of the kind of collaboration and innovation we need.”
Mike Hagon, BOC's managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: “This is the UK's first commercial-scale open access station, showing that it is possible to build the infrastructure needed to establish a hydrogen-powered transport system. But even with private and public support, as we have here in Swindon, we need government commitment to make this a reality across the country. We can provide the tools, but governments need to create the policy framework within which the low-carbon infrastructure of the future can be built.”
Ian Piper, chief executive of economic development company Forward Swindon, said: “We are proud to be part of such an exciting public-private partnership. Forward Swindon initiated the project and raised the funding, and it is a fantastic example of how innovative projects can be delivered in the UK, even during a recession. Swindon's strategic location makes it an ideal hub for new transport technologies and we are confident that this facility will encourage growing interest and adoption.”
Thomas Brafman, head of electric powertrain research and development at Honda, said: “Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the ultimate transportation solution, not only meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance customers expect. The collaboration on this project between automakers like Honda, infrastructure providers like BOC and the public sector will serve as a blueprint for future developments.”
