Swindon on the hydrogen highway 

M4 scheme at forefront of carbon-free motoring

 

The Government chose Swindon today to announce a major new scheme aimed at carbon-free motoring.

 

The M4 motorway from junction 15 to South Wales is to become Britain's first 'hydrogen highway', with strategically placed refuelling points along the route for hygrogen fuelled and electric cars.

 

"Cleaning up our energy supply and the fuel we use for transport will give the UK the opportunity to develop the low carbon industries of the future," said Lord Hunt, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.

Speaking at fuel cell research specialists Johnson Matthey in Lydiard Fields, the minister added that the Swindon-based chemicals company would receive a share of £7.2 million of funding to develop the hydrogen and fuel cell technology required.

 

"Fuel cells and hydrogen can play a key role in cutting CO2 emissions and reducing reliance on fossil fuels," he added.

Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells’ MEA manufacturing facility in Swindon was completed in 2003. This purpose built facility uses state of the art, flexible manufacturing methods to produce large volumes of fuel cell components for the hydrogen and methanol fuelled systems.