ITM Power finalized the second, and first solar powered, HRS in London at the Centre of Engineering Manufacturing Excellence CEME, in Rainham East London on October 11, 2016. The HRS was opened to the public by Bill Williams, CEO of CEME and Prof Roger Putnam CBE, Chairman of ITM Power.  The station is the first of its kind using solar energy from a solar PV array at CEME to make renewable hydrogen on-site and is the second of three UK stations to be deployed as part of the pan European HyFive project, which was funded by the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) and the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

Located at CEME in Rainham, at the heart of the Thames Gateway, the HRS lies just off the A13, linking London City Airport and the M25, and is now available for public and private fleets operating fuel cell electric vehicles.

Preceding the station opening, a Hydrogen Rally took place to the finishing line at the CEME HRS from two locations, with journalists and transport industry commentators, some of whom became the first to make the 186 mile drive from a wind hydrogen station in S. Yorkshire to the solar hydrogen station, demonstrating how excess renewable energy can be used and stored as hydrogen gas to refuel fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in three minutes.

A second rally commenced at ITM Power’s hydrogen station in Teddington, West London, crossing central London to CEME and highlighting zero emission driving across the Capital’s Low Emission Zone. In total 11 FCEVs took part, provided by automotive OEMs Toyota, Hyundai and Symbio FCell Renault and vehicle owners JCB, Anglo American, Johnson Matthey, Green Tomato Cars and ITM Power.