It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when? BCIMO launch new Hydrogen Trams Working Group

The BCIMO have set up a new working group which aims to look at the use of clean hydrogen as a source of power for very light rail. It comes as the imperative for cleaner and greener transport continues apace.

The first session began with a welcome from Naomi Arblaster, Head of SME Development at BCIMO and project lead for the Clean Futures Accelerator programme. This was followed by CEO, Neil Fulton, then outlined the important role of BCIMO as a not-for-profit research and technology organisation (RTO) within future transportation development, and specifically the scope of world-class technical and commercial facilities and range of support available at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC).

Dr Michaela Kendall, who is co-founder and CEO of Adelan, also discussed the complexity of the hydrogen landscape, including the breath of challenges, opportunities and threats. She outlined the scale of possible applications for hydrogen across manufacturing and transport, and provided a global viewpoint on the production specifically of clean hydrogen, alongside the business case and its contribution to the UK economy.

Stephen Collicott, Innovation Direction at Triton Hydrogen, and Jim Harkins, Managing Director at Light Rail (UK) Group, detailed the opportunities offered by hydrogen trams “as a service” (HTaaS). They began by noting the problems of congestion, poor air quality and plastic waste, and their view on governmental and local authority responses as “too busy” and insufficient funding to address these. Offering HTaaS as a solution, they highlighted the intention of attracting private infrastructure investment, the significantly reduced costs associated with Very Light Rail (VLR) systems and even the option to utilise urban waste to produce hydrogen, as “waste to energy”.

During the session the opportunity was also taken to outline what the Clean Futures programme is. Its original remit was to progress innovations from technology readiness level (TRL) 6 to 7 (i.e. testing prototypes in a rail-specific environment and demonstrating to prospective industry and investment stakeholders) to the focus on the Commercial Investment Hub in progressing innovation further.

Stephen Collicott, Innovation Director at Triton Hydrogen, but also an external consultant on the Clean Futures programme, said: “The Clean Futures team did what it does best bringing people together in the commercial pursuance of innovation. From the challenge setter through the innovators to clients and stakeholders, the leadership and delivery shown by Naomi and team is appreciated, so it was a conscious decision to bring the Hydrogen Trams-as-a-Service concept to BCIMO for the launch of a working group. Their potential to design and deliver a systems demonstrator is an exciting opportunity to make this a reality going forward and we look forward to working with them.”

Naomi Arblaster, Head of SME Development and Project lead on Clean Futures, said: “The facilities here provide an ideal environment for testing transport systems. By demonstrating these systems in action and expanding their applications across various sectors, we can showcase the true value and benefits of integrated technologies, rather than evaluating them in isolation. This site is perfectly suited to host stakeholders, industry partners, manufacturers, and investors, allowing them to see the systems operating as a whole. This approach will inspire confidence, encouraging faster investment and adoption into the market.”

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