Roush Technologies and ITM Power to partner on hydrogen fueling in Britain
Britain's ITM Power is working with Roush Technologies to try and get hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles on the road in the UK. Roush will expand their existing work on hydrogen fueling conversions for internal combustion engines to the UK market. The focus of the efforts, initially, will be on commercial vehicles. Roush also plans to develop new dedicated hydrogen-fueled engines. Meanwhile, if anyone plans to convert their vehicles to run on hydrogen, that's were ITM Power PLC comes in. ITM develops fuel cells and electrolysis equipment and they are working on fueling stations with on-site hydrogen generation. The company plans to launch production later this year of an electrolyser system that can be installed at filling stations to produce hydrogen from water using renewable sources such as solar, wind and wave power or from off-peak grid power. How much these systems will cost is unknown, but if it can be made affordable for stations to install, it could give a jump start to hydrogen as a fuel in Britain.
[Source: Channel4]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 9:50AM (3/29/2008)
Hydrogen again? Damn some people are thick headed.
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Brody 12:08PM (3/29/2008)
When will the Hydrogen hype end?
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Peekoyle 11:25AM (3/29/2008)
I give up.
As far as I'm concerned 'they' have won. They have too much money and they have Governments over a barrel because Governments need the taxes generated by the sale of every Litre/Gallon of Fuel.
No matter how illogical the Hydrogen Highway is, Big Oil will win in the end.
It's an 'Economic' certainty. You'd better get used to it.
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Eric 5:57PM (1/30/2009)
It's not an economic certainty for me. I'm making hydrogen at home. I will get my car to burn it. I will get a generator to burn it as well. I will free myself from $600/month in energy costs for gasoline/natural gas/electric or Die Trying. That is going to be my retirement that I have been denied by energy companies and credit card companies.
Chris M 7:19PM (1/30/2009)
Eric, I'm certain that you are going to waste a lot of time and money on this thing, but that is your business. Satisfy your curiousity, if you must, but don't quit your regular job.
You can't make hydrogen without fossil fuels or electricity - or chemicals that are even more expensive. Hydrogen isn't a source of energy, it requires lots of energy to strip it from whatever it is bonded to, more energy than you can recover by burning H2 or using H2 in a fuel cell. So your efforts to "free yourself" from $600/month energy bills using H2 will result in more energy used and much bigger energy bills instead.
A.Brien 11:35AM (3/29/2008)
I think that it's abouth time someone invent a way to produce hydrogen on-site and sell it at a service station. These 2 compagnies resolve the chicken and eggs problem. Hydrogen internal combustion cars build and sell near the service stations that produce hydrogen on-site. Cars converted to use hydrogen gas cost few money, abouth 1000$-2000$ more. Just a huge second tank in the trunk then some high pressure hose and fittings and a reprogrammation of the car computer. And for the electrolyser at the service station once installed the only cost for producing hydrogen is the electricity and many people have devellopped ways to use few electricity for that process.
It's the best project i've seen in mounths.
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Chris M 10:44PM (3/29/2008)
When Quantum Technology converted a Prius to run on H2, the conversion cost $80,000 (nearly 4x the cost of the car itself!) and most of that cost was for the high pressure carbon fiber fuel tanks.
Moreover, the converted Prius could only go about 80 miles on one tankload. A 2nd conversion filled the trunk with extra tanks to achieve 150 miles per fillup, at a much higher cost. Moreover, the performance was less, in spite of the added turbocharger.
Ironically, one could buy a Tesla Roadster for the cost of a "H2 powered Prius" and get much lower operating costs, greater driving range, and far better performance. The future is electric.
With extravagant costs, lousy efficiency, more expensive H2 fuel and very poor driving range, H2 ICE is a non-starter. H2 fuel cell vehicles manage to get acceptable range, but their half-million dollar cost - each - means that only the goverment can afford to squander money on them.
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Noah 4:34PM (3/30/2008)
I believe Hydrogen will happen, and will be a good infrastructure for many vehicle (and home power) applications. However, I think its too early. Our tech for electric and range-extended electrics are more advanced, so more funding should be poured into that to get most vehicles on the road to be electric/series hybrid. Then, when we figure out a way to get hydrogen produced, stored, and transported cheaply and efficiently, go to that for some car markets.
Summary:
1. Focus on electric and RE-electric cars.
2. Eventually use hydrogen to power the RE-electric cars and large trucks.
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the hype reborn 4:27PM (7/15/2008)
energy source --> make electricity --> use electricity to make hydrogen --> convert hydrogen to movement --> car moves
or
energy source --> make electricity --> convert electricity to movement --> car moves
Why put in the totally unnecessary, expensive and energy wasting hydrogen link??
Chris M 2:00AM (3/31/2008)
I understand why the oil companies are pushing hydrogen - they are the biggest producers of H2, and hope to be the biggest sellers that pricey new fuel when the oil runs low.
The problem for the oil companies is that even their immense wealth is powerless against high platinum prices (platinum is the essential catalyst in PEM fuel cells), nor can they change the basic properties of H2 that make it such a poor vehicle fuel. Take heart, Peekoyle, I'd say the 'economic certainty' is that the hydrogen hypers will eventually fail.
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A.Brien 11:37PM (4/01/2008)
Well all this big crize abouth hydrogen have helped the jobs of 1000 employees and have cost 200 millions$ to 20 compagnies that have 2000 up the income and assets of the last consumers for a new cheap efficient green car. If they want to cash a little bit on all the expences they did but withouts revenues. They can install cheap systems like the one by itm electrolysers and the ford focus with an hydrogen system add-on. Abouth 2000$ to produce and install and if they charge 3000$ for a conversion and sell 1 000 000 units a year they can make a profit of 1000 millions a year.
consumers can save 2000$ a year in gasoline. The start-ups compagnies have miss this opportunity of a new markets and they seem to stop investing theres 100 000$ to one millions $.
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