BOC to expand hydrogen refuelling station at Honda

Date: 13/9/2012

BOC is to expand the hydrogen refuelling station at the Honda UK manufacturing site in Swindon, bringing a boost to green transport in the city.

The move will mean that the hydrogen generated to power vehicles will be done more sustainably through the process of on-site solar powered electrolysis.

Various different vehicles can be fuelled using the gas which results from the process and runs vehicles producing less carbon emissions.

The initiative will see a number of organisations making use of the state-of-the-art technology, including Briggs Equipment and Honda to power forklift trucks.

This particular hydrogen refuelling station was the first to be opened up in the country which offers access to the public.

It will take two and a half years to make the changes to the project, which will be partly funded by the government's Technology Strategy Board.

Nick Rolf, Innovation Manager for Hydrogen Systems at BOC, said: "This will be the UK’s first and longest demonstration of solar hydrogen production linked to transport and materials handling applications – the two early commercial markets for hydrogen."

A comprehensive evaluation will be carried out in order to assess the relative efficiency, emission and cost benefits of using hydrogen to power transport.

This will involve looking at all of the stages from solar power sources, storing the hydrogen and refuelling the vehicles on a day-to-day basis.

Mr Rolf said: "The partners will be able to use this project as a ‘shop window’ to attract potential customers in the region and beyond. We are delighted to be leading this groundbreaking initiative."

Mike Godfrey, Chief Engineer at Honda of the UK Manufacturing in Swindon thinks that the city represents a good opportunity to show how a low carbon economy can work on a local level.

If it is successful it could then be rolled out more extensively as the country attempts to move towards becoming a sustainable economy by 2020.

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News