28th Apr 2016 09:41
LONDON (Alliance News) - Energy storage and clean fuel company ITM Power PLC said Thursday the Big Hit project, in which it acts as the electrolyser provider, has received a EUR5.0 million European Union grant.
Of the total grant, ITM Power said it will receive EUR2.3 million over a five-year period.
The Big Hit project, also known as Building Innovative Green Hydrogen systems in an Isolated Territory, creates hydrogen using community-owned wind turbines on Shapinsay and Eday, two of the Orkney islands, giving "green" hydrogen as it has a very low carbon footprint.
The EU funding will come from Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership supporting the fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe, and will enable Big Hit to deploy 10 electric vans, which will each be fitted with a hydrogen fuel cell range extender.
A hydrogen refuelling station will be constructed in or near to Kirkwall at a site to be selected, ITM Power said, adding that the hydrogen fuel cells in these adapted vans will give them a wider range than their battery-powered electric counterparts.
In order to demonstrate the potential scope hydrogen also has for heat uses in Orkney, Big Hit will also install two hydrogen-powered boilers at suitable premises to provide zero carbon heat, ITM Power added.
"Big Hit is a major step in turning the Orkney Islands into a genuine Hydrogen Territory. The deployment of 1.5 megawatts of electrolysis and the operation of hydrogen logistics to provide a transport fuel and renewable heat is a very important part of that process," said ITM Power Chief Executive Graham Cooley.
Shares in ITM Power were up 1.6% at 15.50 pence on Thursday.
By Hannah Boland; [email protected]; @Hannaheboland
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