09th July 200
A fuel station producing enough hydrogen to run householders' homes and cars has been unveiled today.
The British invention, due to go on sale within two years, is roughly the size of a heating boiler and will cost under £2,000.
Its creators say it will revolutionise commuting, help homeowners slash energy bills, and give easy access to a fuel that does not produce carbon dioxide emissions, helping to combat climate change.
It's a gas: ITM Power has invented a hydrogen generator that can fuel this special Ford Focus
ITM Power also unveiled a Ford Focus that has been converted to run on hydrogen.
The hydrogen generator, which when it goes on sale will be small enough to fit in a garage or home, will use water and offpeak electricity to generate the gas.
It will be stored in a pressurised tank and can be used to provide power for a range of domestic or commercial purposes.
It can be used to power a small generator to produce household electricity, or can be pumped into a car's hydrogen fuel tank.
ITM unveiled the technology at the Society-of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in London today.
The fuelling station aims to overcome one of the biggest stumbling blocks to running vehicles on hydrogen - the lack of a refuelling network.
The developers say it has taken scientists and chemists at its Sheffield research base - Europe's largest fuel cell development centre - eight years to create a low-cost means of manufacturing hydrogen.
The new fuel station does not need platinum in the process it uses to produce hydrogen. ITM claims it can make the gas at just one per cent of the cost of traditional methods, which have so far put the technology beyond the reach of householders.
The Ford Focus has been convertedto run on hydrogen as well as conventional petrol. ITM estimates a litre of 'DIY' hydrogen will cost roughly half the price of a litre of unleaded fuel, which is currently priced at about 117p a litre.
The prototype travels only 25 miles on a single hydrogen recharge but production models will have a range of 100 miles or more.
Jim Heathcote, chief executive of ITM Power, said: 'This double announcement marks the end of a demanding research programme and the beginning of an exciting collaboration with manufacturers and developers to bring the potential of hydrogen to commercial reality.
'Given the pressing need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, especially oil, and to cut CO2 emissions, the future for hydrogen as an alternative means of storing and utilising energy cost-effectively has never been brighter.'
One drawback of the new system is that the fuel station still needs electricity to run, which itself involves generating CO2. However, the developers say that customers can use electricity off-peak and choose a provider who sells electricity from renewable sources.
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