Eco Valley

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce a partnership agreement with a consortium called EcoIsland, the largest single sustainability project in the UK. The partners in EcoIsland are IBM, Toshiba, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), Scottish Water, BT, Opel (GM) and ITM Power. The Company will provide hydrogen energy storage and clean fuel technologies for integration into the renewable energy smart grid system being developed on the Isle of Wight.

The EcoIsland project brings together within a single island energy system a critical mass of smart energy technologies to demonstrate how a future energy system can be configured. With renewable generation including wind, solar, tidal and geothermal the island will need to match supply and demand using battery energy storage, hydrogen energy storage and demand side management. These technologies will be coordinated centrally by smart grid technologies supplied by IBM, BT, SSE and Toshiba.

ITM Power is the hydrogen fuel partner and will supply hydrogen refueling equipment controlled by smart grid technology to optimize both renewable energy storage and the provision of fuel to both fuel cell vehicles and Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine commercial vehicles. The intention is that the island will also be a showcase for advanced low emission hydrogen vehicles being launched from 2013.

It is intended that the first hydrogen refueling station will be constructed by ITM Power in Q2 of 2012. It will be based on the Company’s HFuel product platform which has been trialed extensively as part of the HOST program during 2011. Up to four refueling systems are planned for the first phase of deployment on the island demonstrating the scale-ability of the technology and rapid response demand side reserve. It is anticipated that sufficient fuel will be generated from the four refueling stations for 2 Buses, 40 vans and 20 cars. Revenues for ITM Power from the project will therefore be spread across 2012 to 2014.

The project will also present an opportunity for the Company to showcase its unique domestic scale products - HBox Solar and HFill which respectively offer hydrogen generation directly from solar PV (even in situations where there is no electricity grid) and home hydrogen refueling.

EcoIsland founder, David Green commented: “The collection of technologies that we are bringing together on EcoIsland will provide the total energy solution for tomorrow’s world. Hydrogen and ITM Power’s technology will be integral to proving that renewable energy can be utilized effectively despite being intermittent. Using wind energy to decarbonise the transport system on the island is a fantastic prospect.

ITM Power CEO, Graham Cooley, commented: “Joined up thinking in the energy sector is rare and EcoIsland is a world class project on our doorstep with exactly that. At ITM Power we are convinced that hydrogen is the solution to renewable power intermittency and decarbonising road transport so where better to prove hydrogen energy storage than on the EcoIsland.”

Click here to go to ITM Powers EcoIsland Page

www.itm-power.com