TSB: New funding competition will accelerate introduction of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies

A new £7.5M demonstrator programme will help to speed-up the adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, bringing them into everyday use.

The government-backed Technology Strategy Board programme will show how fuel cell systems and hydrogen technologies could be used in low carbon energy and transport systems.  The aim is to help businesses integrate these two technologies together with other energy and transport components, such as renewable energies or refuelling infrastructure, to develop whole systems and show them working together.

The initiative will also strengthen the UK’s capability in these sectors, support the development of strategic partnerships and attract international businesses.

The new funding was revealed today at a demonstration of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in London. Featuring over a dozen demonstrator projects, the showcase event highlighted how innovation in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies has advanced significantly as a result of an earlier £7 million programme funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (www.decc.gov.uk) and delivered by the Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org).  The programme has enabled businesses to demonstrate that a range of leading technologies work and provide solutions in real life situations.

Visiting the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Showcase event in London today, Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “Driving dynamic technological innovation is key to fighting dangerous climate change.  Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are at the forefront of new energy solutions, which will dramatically cut emissions from transport and the Coalition is determined to support their development.  This new government-supported programme marks further progress in bringing this exciting technology to market.”

The new competition for funding – Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Whole System Integration and Demonstration – is planned to open in January 2012.  Explaining the background to the new competition, David Bott, Director of Innovation Programmes at the Technology Strategy Board, said: “We now have technologies at a relatively mature stage of development, with a number of hydrogen and fuel cell systems being demonstrated for buildings or vehicles.  The new competition is designed to help business-led consortia develop innovative, large-scale, application-led projects that integrate hydrogen and fuel cell systems with key elements of our energy and transport systems and the wider built environment.  Through this funding we hope to leverage further investment, strengthening the UK’s capability at a national level and  supporting the development of new strategic partnerships in the UK.”

Hydrogen and fuel cells are distinct technologies that both have a number of potential applications in low carbon energy and transport but also work together in some important common areas.  Today’s event showcased a number of these technologies, including:  the Transportable High Pressure Hydrogen Refuelling Station or HFuel, a self-contained module suitable for refuelling hydrogen-powered road vehicles, developed by ITM Power; the zero emission Fuel Cell London Taxi, developed by Intelligent Energy and partners; and Ammonia for Power (A4P) from Diverse Energy, which demonstrates the world’s first use of ammonia as a low-carbon hydrogen carrier to power continuously-running fuel cell power generation products.