• H2020
• Industrial Leadership

Hydrogen-powered vehicle use is set to expand in Europe with the development of the H2ME (Hydrogen Mobility Europe) project and Horizon 2020 funding.

First unveiled in September 2015, the H2ME project has announced the deployment and operation of 1,230 fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), as well 20 more hydrogen-refuelling stations (HRS) across Europe.

Last September H2ME 1 deployed 300 FCVs and 29 stations throughout Europe. According to the project leaders, the goal of the new H2ME 2 programme is to expand on those achievements.

Ben Madden, director of Element Energy and project co-ordinator, said: “Our aim has been to help bring the key businesses and public bodies investing in hydrogen mobility in Europe together to work on the common goal of making hydrogen-fuelled transport a reality in Europe.”

ITM Power, the project’s UK lead, will use €5.06m of the total funds to build a refuelling network in the UK.

Dr Rachel Smith, executive director of ITM Power, added: “We are very excited about the role the project will play in deploying hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, passenger and commercial fuel cell electric vehicles in the UK and demonstrating the system benefits generated by using electrolytic hydrogen solutions in UK grid operations.”

H2ME 2 is a €100m project bringing 37 partners from across Europe together. It is backed by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU).