Government taps into Hydrogen fuel tech
In a show of support for hydrogen fuelled transport, the Department of Transport (DfT) is giving £8.8m to a consortium of organisations for developing ‘zero emission’ hydrogen technology. Two hundred vehicles will take part in the project.
Aiming to support better access to the UK’s hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, the project will help established fleet operators to acquire and operate vehicles using hydrogen as a fuel. Businesses such as Green Tomato Cars, Europcar as well as taxi operators and Police transport fleet are set to benefit.
How the funds will be spent
The £8.8m funding will be used to procure vehicles, build new fuel stations and upgrade existing ones. The DfT funding will be matched by £13.1m investment from other companies and sources. The core consortium includes British hydrogen technology business ITM Power and multi-nationals Shell, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.
Roads Minister, Jesse Norman said: “Decarbonising our roads is an essential part of meeting our climate targets. The innovative new technologies involved present great opportunities for our increasingly low carbon economy.
“Hydrogen has huge potential, especially for those making longer journeys and clocking up high mileage. That is what makes this project truly exciting. Not only is it demonstrating the technology in action, but it is also developing the refuelling infrastructure needed for the future.”
Energy expert view
“It’s good to see a significant hydrogen fuel demonstrator project, with both government support and investment, to potentially act as an informer to the market. The potential for hydrogen as a ‘clean’ fuel has been long advocated but with little market development in Britain. With the support of both major technology developers and transport fleet operators, this looks to be a very positive development for hydrogen as a fuel in the UK.”Alastair Fells MEI, Incorporated Eng, PG Dip Fuel Tech, BSc Hons
To find out how our energy law specialists can help your business, please contact Andrew Davison on 0191 211 7950 or to read more click here.