but it might not be that far off aren't Honda already doing something??
BP has opened the UK's first hydrogen demonstration refuelling station adjacent to the BP Connect site at Hornchurch, Essex.
The Hornchurch site will provide hydrogen fuel to three London buses as part of the nine-city Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) programme - currently the world's largest hydrogen demonstration programme - and will help BP to examine the feasibility of providing hydrogen at retail sites on a wider commercial basis. The London CUTE project was launched in January 2004 and BP has been supplying hydrogen fuel to buses from a temporary site up to now.
The station has been developed in partnership with First Group, DaimlerChrysler, London Buses and the Energy Saving Trust. The technology used at the site is supplied by BOC.
The Hornchurch station is the first in the UK and Europe to use underground storage of liquid hydrogen for transportation purposes - a method that has been successfully used for industrial purposes for many years.
Part funded by the European Commission, the site is BP's third to be located at a public service station, after Singapore and Berlin and brings to 11 the total number of hydrogen fuelling projects in which BP is involved across the world. Local residents have been kept updated on progress of the building works throughout the process.
Carol Battershell, BP's Vice President of Renewables & Alternatives said: "This is an important project for BP, for hydrogen and Britain. Hydrogen holds great potential to be the clean fuel of the future. This demonstration project will give us valuable, practical knowledge of how we can make hydrogen available at an easily accessible location. It is part of BP's commitment to provide a portfolio of clean, sustainable energy solutions."
The CUTE partners are currently in discussions with the European Commission to assess the possibility of extending the programme by one year. Any time extension at Hornchurch would only happen with the correct planning permits and the station would continue to refuel the three London buses
Reply With Quote
