hydrogen mini grid system uk

ITM Power Leads Upgrade of Hydrogen Mini Grid System in Northern England
30 Jul 2013

Rotherham turbine

ITM Power has been selected by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) as the preferred bidder in a recent competitive tender process to become the operator of a Hydrogen Mini Grid System (HMGS) in Rotherham, UK.

The HMGS is a unique UK asset consisting of a 225 kW wind turbine coupled directly to an electrolyser, 200 kg of hydrogen storage and a hydrogen dispensing unit as well as a 30 kW fuel cell system for back up power generation for nearby buildings.

The facility will be upgraded as a showcase for ITM Power’s equipment and used to provide retail hydrogen fuel services within the Sheffield City Region. The HMGS will also serve to develop ITM Power’s modular commercial platform for hydrogen generation systems, power-to-gas and refuelling solutions. Particular focus will be on the national hydrogen mobility initiatives being undertaken in countries around the world.

The facility is located on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham just two miles from the M1 motorway network and within reach of large conurbations. This gives the facility a very large catchment area and provides the perfect position for a commercial refuelling station.

The M1 was highlighted as a key route for the early deployment of hydrogen refuelling in the UK in the recently published UK H2Mobility Phase 1 Report. The HMGS already has planning permission for hydrogen systems and much of the required infrastructure and groundwork is already in place, which allows for very low set up costs to install and use ITM Power’s non-invasive hydrogen generation technology.

Subject to final contract ITM Power will sign a five year lease on the site and will work in collaboration with local authorities, businesses, Sheffield University, DeMontfort University and UPS Systems to provide retail fuel services for a range of low carbon vehicles and provide educational material for the hydrogen sector.

ITM Power CEO, Dr Graham Cooley, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as the operator for the HMGS in Rotherham. The site has huge potential and ITM Power is perfectly positioned to realise this potential with our unique technology. Together with our partners, we will be able to use the site as a retail hydrogen fuel station for the area and it will provide a repeatable blueprint for similar systems to be deployed around the world.”

http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/news-events/news-archive/2013/july/itm-power-leads-upgrade-of-hydrogen-mini-grid-system-in-northern-england