Hydrogen dream closer with collaboration

Collaboration by two UK technology companies could see hydrogen powered vehicles on UK roads by the end of the year.

The two companies ITM Power Plc and Roush Technologies Ltd have signed an agreement of cooperation, that some in the motor industry feel could lead to hydrogen powered commercial vehicles being marketed in the UK in months rather than years.

Roush Tech, who already has widespread knowledge of commercial vehicles, will be in charge of adapting existing combustion engines and researching new power plants utilising hydrogen fuel and developing them.

ITM Power on the other hand will be tasked with the supply of hydrogen to vehicle users. The company is in the final stages of development of a refuelling port that will give commercial vehicle operators the ability to generate their own supply and therefore negate the lack of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

As the largest electrolyser in Europe, ITM has the experience that it needs to complete its task, and with a new high-tech electrolyser due to enter production in Sheffield this year that task could be completed sooner than any thought possible.

Making a working hydrogen fuelled, emission free vehicle is seen as the Holy Grail by the motoring industry. It is a goal that has only just started to bear fruit albeit on a very limited scale with the Honda FCX Clarity in southern California being the closet to a complete working concept.

If these two companies can work together and produce to the timescales that they have set themselves then a more mainstream vision of emission free motoring could be here sooner than expected.

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