Last checked at 12 Oct 2010 07:00
12 October 2010
ITM Power Plc
("ITM Power" or "the Company")
Former Transport Minister Endorses ITM Power's Hydrogen Technology
Steven Norris, former Transport Minister, Director General of the Road Haulage Association and co-author of the Conservative Quality of Life Commission, accompanied Professor Roger Putnam, Chairman of ITM Power and a former Chairman of Ford UK, to visit Sheffield's ITM Power to see for himself Britain's advanced hydrogen technology for decarbonising transport.
Mr Norris's visit included a tour of the factory where a range of energy storage, clean fuel products are awaiting completion of CE marking prior to being launched on the market next year. Of particular interest was ITM Power's hydrogen powered Ford Focus and the recently launched HFuel product that is transportable and can be connected into a renewable electricity and water supply, to produce a clean fuel at the point of demand, so eliminating both the carbon footprint of the fuel production and the need to transport a fuel.
Steven Norris said "The electrolysis of water using renewable energy to make hydrogen to fuel vehicles makes huge sense. The HFuel technology I have seen today clearly demonstrates that a British company has a major contribution to make in creating the global hydrogen infrastructure for refueling hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles. These opportunities for British industry must not be missed. We need to encourage this technology as much as we can."
Professor Roger Putnam stated "We are delighted to welcome Steven Norris to ITM Power today. As a former Minister for Transport, Steven retains a keen interest in development of technologies to decarbonise transport and we are very grateful for his comments today, endorsing our vision for deploying our HFuel technology. Our Hydrogen on site trials being early next year and we have received much interest across many industrial sectors. These trials will spearhead our strategy for market adoption, that as Steven has pointed out, have global reach."
ITM Power has developed a range of materials and technology to reduce the cost of hydrogen production. The company has developed equipment to convert renewable energy to a clean fuel; storing the energy as green hydrogen for decarbonising transport, industrial and residential applications.
About HFuel
ITM Power's transportable high pressure refueling unit (HFuel) was built with support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and partners Gateway to London and Revolve Technologies, as announced in February 2010.
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. The list if participant organizations who have signed up to join HOST include; DHL Supply Chain, London Stansted Airport, The Forestry Commission, Scottish Water, SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy), Vestas Wind Systems AS and local authorities Sheffield City Council and the London Borough of Camden.
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 Power 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.
About Steven Norris
Parliamentary and ministerial career: Member of Parliament for Oxford East1983-87 and Epping Forest 1988-97. He served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary for William Waldegraveat the Department of Environment, Nicholas Ridley as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Kenneth Bakeras Home Secretary before being promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport and Minister for Transport in London by John Majorin 1992, where he was responsible for the Jubilee Line Extension, the largest extension of the London Underground network to date.
Norris became known in particular for his interest in public transport. He is, or has been, Chairman of the National Cycling Strategy Board, Director General of the Road Haulage Association and President of the Motor Cycle Industry Association and a patron of the cyclists charity, Sustrans and of the Campaign for Better Transport (UK)Trust.
London Mayoral bids: In 1996 he published his autobiography 'Changing Trains' in which he first expressed an interest in running to be Mayor of London. He stood down from Parliament at the 1997 General Election to pursue business interests and prepare London mayoral bids.
He stood as the Conservative London Mayoral candidate in 2000 and 2004.
For further information please visit www.itm-power.com or contact:
| ITM Power plc Graham Cooley, CEO
Steven Norris | 0114 244 5111
020 7321 0773 |
|
Tavistock Communications Simon Hudson / Andrew Dunn |
020 7920 3150 |
Photographs available from http://www.flickr.com/photos/itmpower/