Last checked at 26 Oct 2010 07:00
26 October 2010
ITM Power plc
("ITM Power" or "the Company")
Southampton City Council Joins ITM Power's Hydrogen On Site Trials
Third Local Authority Joins HOST
ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce that Southampton City Council has signed an agreement to participate in the Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) of ITM Power's transportable high pressure refueling unit (HFuel), becoming the third English local authority to join the trials. The HFuel unit was built with support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and launched at the Company's AGM on 15th September 2010.
Southampton is often referred to as the "Home of the Transit" as commercial Transit vehicles are manufactured nearby at Ford's plant at Swaythling. Southampton City Council has an environmental strategy targeting air quality improvements from transport and increasing the use of renewable energy. The Council's Carbon Reduction policy includes a target to reduce CO2emissions by 40% by 2020. In 2009/10 alone an impressive reduction of 7.5% was achieved, including 400 tonnes through an LED traffic light replacement programme.
Commenting for ITM Power, CEO Graham Cooley said: "We are very pleased to welcome Southampton City Council as our third local authority to our HOST programme. Their assessment of our energy storage: clean fuel technology, for decarbonising return to base logistics fleet vehicles, will provide ITM Power with exceptionally useful data in the urban and suburban environment."
Lorraine Brown, Executive Director of Environment for Southampton City Council, added: "This is a win-win for Southampton as we strive to make the city exemplary in its standards of air quality, whilst promoting the local production of clean transport technology. We are particularly pleased to support ITM Power in the trialling of its Transportable High Pressure Hydrogen Refuelling Station, such initiatives will be invaluable in pursuing our carbon reduction targets. It is also especially appropriate for ITM's hydrogen trials to be undertaken using vehicles that were manufactured in the city of Southampton."
About HOST
HOST will begin in 2011, and comprises the operation and refueling of two Revolve Technologies hydrogen Ford Transit vehicles, with hydrogen produced on site at the point of use, at sites operated by participating companies and in the Gateway to London development area. Southampton City Council joins local authorities Sheffield City Council and the London Borough of Camden, DHL Supply Chain, London Stansted Airport, The Forestry Commission, Scottish Water, SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy), Vestas Wind Systems AS, Scottish Police Services Authority and Center Parcs who have already joined the programme.
HOST provides each partner with a one week free trial of HFuel and the Revolve HICE transit vehicles, and an option to lease both HFuel and vehicles for additional week(s). The demonstrations are 100% managed and operated by ITM personnel in liaison with site owners' operations and management.
As part of the HOST programme ITM Power is actively seeking both technical partners interested in storing renewable energy, and commercial partners seeking to trial zero carbon fleets.
For further information please visit www.itm-power.com or contact:
ITM Power plc Graham Cooley, CEO | 0114 244 5111 |
Panmure Gordon & Co. Katherine Roe | 020 7459 3600
|
Tavistock Communications Simon Hudson / Andrew Dunn | 020 7920 3150 |