Vestas managing director Rob Sauven refuelling the hydrogen-powered van. Picture by Peter Boam.
A VAN at the leading edge of new green technology was trialled on the Island last week.
But, apart from the logo, no-one would have known white van man was, in fact, driving a Hydrovan — a vehicle powered by hydrogen produced from its own Hydrogen Refuelling Station (HFuel).
Vestas managing director Rob Sauven invited David Green and the team from Eco Island to the St Cross Business Park site to inspect the vehicle and refuelling station, designed by Sheffield-based ITM Power and part-funded by the Technology Strategy Board.
As part of the Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST), the refuelling station and a retro-fitted Ford Transit van are travelling around the UK.
The Hydrogen Internal Combustion Energy (HICE) Ford Transit is built by Revolve Technologies and works with HOST so hydrogen can be produced on site. It is designed to make the operation viable for commercial operations. At the heart of the re-fuelling plant is a revolutionary electrolyser which, at the prototype stage, can produce enough fuel to fill the special tanks of three vans in 24 hours.
The prototype brought to the Island has a 100-mile range and can default to petrol on longer runs. When using hydrogen, water vapour is the only emission.
Eco Island chief executive David Green, who was a keynote speaker on hydrogen integration at the Innovate Conference in San Francisco this week, said: "There is no such thing as a sad day when you can drive a car that gives out nothing but water.
"This is the shape of things to come."
Mr Sauven said: "It was an impressive example of the latest hydrogen technology, the prototype demonstrating how electricity can be employed to create hydrogen to power vehicles at times when it would not be used for other purposes.
"We are very interested in this technology."
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk