The University of Birmingham Opens England's Only Hydrogen Fuelling Station

April 22 2008

The University of Birmingham unveiled the only hydrogen gas fuelling station in England on its Edgbaston campus on Thursday 17 April 2008.

The Air Products Series 100 fuelling station is situated at the University's Department of Chemical Engineering where research projects are being carried out to ascertain the viability of hydrogen in transport applications as part of Birmingham's Science City hydrogen energy project.

Birmingham engineers will be comparing five hydrogen powered vehicles with the University's own fleet of petrol, diesel and pure 'electric' vehicles so that they can learn more about their efficiency and performance. The researchers will determine how these vehicles need to be adapted in order to make hydrogen an attractive and cost effective option as a future fuel.

As a direct result of this research it is hoped that the public sector will start to buy into these new technologies, providing support to companies in the supply chain who are moving from the technology demonstration phase into the early stages of commercialisation.

The Series 100 station has been specially designed by Air Products, a leading producer and supplier of hydrogen with over 50 years experience in hydrogen applications, to meet the fuelling needs of the first hydrogen vehicles to appear on the roads.  The fueller comprises an integrated compression, hydrogen storage and dispensing system and is optimised to fuel up to approximately six vehicles per day. Minimal onsite utilities are required for the fueller, which can be easily moved from site to site, making it ideal for hydrogen fuelling start up stations.

Professor Kevin Kendall, lead investigator from the University's Department of Chemical Engineering, says, 'We are delighted to be the home of England's only hydrogen gas filling station.  It is absolutely necessary that we have the means to refuel our fleet of hydrogen powered cars so that we can carry out our research project into the feasibility of hydrogen in a transport context.'

Ian Williamson, Hydrogen Energy Systems Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa from Air Products says, 'We are extremely proud to provide the first hydrogen fuelling station to a UK university. Air Products is the market leader in the development of hydrogen fuelling stations. We have already installed 21 mobile fuellers and built more than 80 stations worldwide. Over 50,000 vehicle fuellings have already safely taken place thanks to Air Products technology.'

Dr Bruno Pollet, from the University's Fuel Cells Group says, 'We are starting to take the necessary steps to gear up towards a hydrogen and fuel cell infrastructure, so it is essential, now, that we begin to develop a supply chain of businesses which can generate jobs and growth in these new technologies.  Hydrogen powered vehicles will help to create new working partnerships and to bring about a sense of cohesion among those already working in the industry.'

Dr Waldemar Bujalski of the University's Fuel Cell Group says, 'We fully appreciate the initial capital investment from Advantage West Midlands which has enabled us to expand the scope of our long standing activities in the hydrogen and fuel cell research areas.  This investment was crucial for securing further funds from a variety of sources for establishing and maintaining the necessary manpower and resources to carry out this exciting research.'

The research is part of the hydrogen energy project which has received funding from Regional Development Agency Advantage West Midlands to develop the use of hydrogen energy as a green fuel in collaboration with the University of Warwick.  The project has been approved as part of the Science City Initiative.

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