Sheffield Council signs up for clean energy project
ITM Power, the Yorkshire energy storage and clean fuel company, today said it had agreed deals for two local authorities, including Sheffield City Council, to participate in one of its hydrogen projects.
Sheffield Council, along with the London Borough of Camden, will take part in the Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) of ITM’s transportable high pressure refueling unit (HFuel) that is currently being built with support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and partners Gateway to London and Revolve Technologies.
HOST will begin next year and will see the use and refueling of two HICE (Hydrogen Internal Combustion Energy) Revolve Technologies Ford Transit vehicles with hydrogen produced on site, at sites operated by participating companies and in the Gateway to London development area.
Sheffield-based ITM Power is a clean energy company focused on developing technology as an alternative to the present dependence on hydrocarbon fuels.
Sheffield City Council and London Borough of Camden join DHL Supply Chain, London Stansted Airport and the Forestry Commission who have recently signed agreements to join HOST.
Membership of HOST provides each partner with a one week free trial of HFuel and the two Revolve HICE transit vehicles, and an option to lease both HFuel and vehicles for additional weeks.
Graham Cooley, ITM Power’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted that Sheffield CC, and the London Borough of Camden, have taken the initiative to become the first local authorities to join the HOST programme in order to appraise the potential of ITM’s energy storage: clean fuel technology, for decarbonising return to base logistics fleet vehicles and realising local air quality objectives.
“Sheffield and London are important locations for local authority trials of ITM’s technology; ITM Power’s manufacturing facility is based in Sheffield, where we already have an existing refuelling station on Atlas Way; we are keen to see the benefits of the trial extended throughout the local economy.
“In London, the Borough of Camden presents the ideal partner for presenting our technology to the Capital. It’s all about producing a clean fuel at the point of use, addressing the important sustainability issue of eliminating the carbon foot print of the fuel supply chain in the inner city.”
Coun Andrew Sangar, Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for climate change, said: “We are pleased to be able to test these hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in Sheffield. Access to low carbon transport technology is an important factor in attracting businesses to the city, with commercial vehicles being a major contributor of carbon emissions.
“ITM’s hydrogen refuelling trial firmly puts the city on the map for testing the latest clean fuel technology.”
