ITM Power steps up US operations after refuelling station deal
ITM Power has received its first order in the USA for a hydrogen vehicle refuelling station.
The Sheffield-based energy storage and clean fuel company said that its new US company, ITM Power Inc will supply a rapid response electrolyser unit to Hydrogen Frontier to be integrated into Hyundai’s hydrogen energy and fueling station in Chino, California.
The award for the new refuelling station is from the California Energy Commission and will be located at the Hyundai America Technical Center testing facility near the I-10 freeway and will be capable of generating 100kg/day of hydrogen with the ability to dispense at both 350 and 700bar.
The hydrogen will be produced on site as a 100% renewable fuel and the station will dispense hydrogen for public use for fuel cell electric vehicles, and provide hydrogen for Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell fleet and fork lifts.
California has a planned schedule of funding and investing in more stations using similar award schemes. These investment are expected to continue on an annual basis while an initiative between the global automotive industry, hydrogen fuel suppliers and the US Department of Energy is also looking to establish a US road map and plan for the commercial roll-out of fuel cell vehicles across the whole of the USA.
As part of ITM Power’s plans to expand its activities on a global basis it will establish a permanent staff in the US for ITM Power Inc with ITM Power’s business development manager, Stephen Jones, appointed managing director of the business working alongside Geoff Budd, ITM Power’s existing representative in the United States and Canada to grow the company’s North American activities.
ITM Power Inc has also appointed two key advisors, Bob Rose, fuel cell industry expert and US government advisor, and Dr. Alan Lloyd, president of The International Council on Clean Transport and a member of the US Secretary of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technical Advisory Committee.
ITM Power chief executive, Dr Graham Cooley, said: “We are delighted to be deploying our first electrolyser unit in California under ITM Power Inc. ITM Power has been well known in California since our IPO on the London Stock Exchange and our presence at many of the hydrogen and fuel cell exhibitions held there over the years.
“Having made this initial sale for what we believe will be part of a larger series of refuelling stations in California alone, we now have the opportunity to further develop our presence and sales in energy storage and clean fuel products to California and the wider United States as a plant manufacturer and supplier.”
