Ricardo-AEA runs hydrogen refuelling station scheme
Ricardo-AEA and E4tech have been chosen by the UK Government to run a competition to develop infrastructure proposals for a £3.5 million scheme to develop seven fully functioning hydrogen fuelling stations. Once candidates have been chosen, Ricardo-AEA will monitor and report on the development of the next generation energy infrastructure initiative.
E4tech is a consulting company specialising in the field of energy and environment with a strong focus on transport and fuel cells, and on innovative approaches to sustainable energy. Besides offering technological solutions, the company also develops and markets specialised environmental software offerings
Global sustainability consulting firm Ricardo-AEA, which provides Governments, public agencies and businesses with analysis, advice and data to solve environmental challenges and improve organisational performance, has together with E4tech been selected by the UK Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles’ (OLEV) to deliver its infrastructure grant scheme ‘hydrogen refuelling stations’. The scheme aims to rollout a hydrogen fuel network across the UK to service next generation fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The grant will fund £3.5 million for the scheme to develop seven fully functioning hydrogen fuelling stations. A further £2 million will be made available to upgrade eight ‘demonstration’ stations.
The role of Ricardo-AEA will be to run a competition for infrastructure proposals via an online portal.* The applications will be reviewed by Ricardo-AEA and E4tech and judged on whether they “meet a range of criteria, including the role they will play in an early hydrogen network,” before making a formal recommendation to OLEV. After successful infrastructure candidates have been selected, Ricardo-AEA’s role will be to work with the government on delivering the grant payments as well as monitoring and reporting on the new hydrogen refuelling stations.
Lisa Groves, senior consultant at Ricardo-AEA comments: “We’re very pleased to be delivering this project on behalf of the UK government. Leading car manufacturers have already chosen the UK as one of their first markets for FCEVs and it’s vital that the UK builds an effective refuelling network in order to benefit from this low carbon technology. We have developed a robust selection process that will enable government and industry money to target the most suitable projects and deliver this new infrastructure. We look forward to working with OLEV to see the first part of the UK’s hydrogen refuelling network established in 2016/2017.”
* On the 2nd of February 2015 the competition opened to potential applicants, with interest registered online via an application portal on Ricardo-AEA’s website, the closing date for applications is March 6th.
