ITM Power has opened its seventh public access hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) in the UK, located at Johnson Matthey, Swindon on the M4 corridor.

The opening was supported by Toyota, Hyundai and Honda, who provided the opportunity to drive Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) at the opening.

The new Swindon HRS is ITM Power’s seventh public access HRS and joins Cobham on the M25, Beaconsfield on the M40, Rainham in Essex on the A13, Teddington in London, Rotherham on the M1 and Kirkwall in Orkney.

Located at Johnson Matthey in Swindon, which is home to the company’s fuel cell component manufacturing facility, the new HRS lies just off the M4 linking south Wales with London. It is now open for public and private fleets operating fuel cell electric vehicles. The station uses electricity via a renewable energy contract and water to generate hydrogen on-site with no need for deliveries.

The new HRS is the first of two stations in the UK to be deployed as part of the pan-European H2ME2 project, which was funded by the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) and the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

A further station to be deployed by ITM Power under H2ME1 will be located at Gatwick Airport and will be opened before the end of this year.

Graham Cooley, CEO, ITM Power, commented: “We are extremely pleased to have launched our seventh hydrogen refuelling station. ITM Power is grateful for the co-operation of our H2ME2 partners and for the funding support of FCHJU and OLEV. We are again collaborating with local stakeholders to develop a significant FCEV fleet around the new station.”

Thomas Brachmann, chief project engineer, automobile powertrain & material research Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland), commented: “The opening of the new hydrogen refuelling station in Swindon is an important step for the UK’s infrastructure, as it now enables travel along the M4 corridor to the M25. This will further enhance the uptake of hydrogen vehicles and will help our Clarity Fuel Cell drivers in the UK with the knowledge that there is increased hydrogen refuelling capacity available.”

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