Honda Opens UK's First Hydrogen Power Station

Honda is paving the way for hydrogen power, opening the UK's first open-access refuelling station in Swindon as the company pushes to bring hydrogen powered cars to the masses.

Built by gas specialist BOC, and in partnership with Honda, the unique refuelling station is located half-way along the M4 between London and Swansea and is designed to look and work like a conventional petrol station.

Mike Huggon, UK managing director at BOC said: "It demonstrates that we can build the infrastructure needed to establish a hydrogen-powered transport system. But even with private and public support - as we have here in Swindon - we need government commitment to make this work across the country as a whole. We can provide the tools but the Government has to create the policy framework in which we can build the low carbon infrastructure of tomorrow."

The station delivers hydrogen in the common 350 bar and 700 bar pressures and is open to anyone who is developing or using hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are predicted to become more popular than electric vehicles in the future, thanks to their longer range.

Sales of hydrogen-powered cars have been low due to the lack of a proper refuelling network, but the opening of this station could open the floodgates for more stations forming a refuelling network which will convince consumers to consider hydrogen power in the future.

Honda's hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity takes approximately five minutes to fill and the company is keen to point out that refuelling with hydrogen is a very familiar experience to filling up at a regular petrol station.

Head of electrical powertrain R&D at Honda, Thomas Brachmann, said: "Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the ultimate transport solution; meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance that customers expect".