Wednesday 23 November 2022

AFC Energy PLC

("AFC Energy" or the "Company")

H-Power Tower Deployment at HS2 Euston Station Site

AFC Energy (AIM: AFC), a leading provider of hydrogen power generation technologies, is pleased to announce details of the latest in a series of field trials of the H-Power Tower on UK and European construction sites.

Mace Dragados Joint Venture, the construction team building HS2's new Euston station, is primarily trialling the hydrogen fuel cell to charge a fully electric JCB telehandler. It is also being used to charge lighting towers and a water pump on site. The H-Power Tower is an entirely emission free solution, reducing noise and capacity requirements from mains power.

This is the latest in a series of construction deployments for AFC Energy's H-Power Tower and also follows the recent successful field trial in Spain of the Company's first prototype Methanol Fuel Tower.

Charging electric construction machinery with zero-emission solutions at point of use provides a real step forward in decarbonising the activities of construction activities where mains supply is not possible.

HS2, Europe's largest construction project, has continually challenged its contractors to find new, innovative methods of construction and power supply that will result in lower emissions, be greener, and more environmentally friendly. This is just one of the many ways HS2 is reducing carbon emissions and air pollution typically projected in construction and accelerating HS2 sites to be diesel free by 2029. 

Andrea Davidson, HS2's Head of Environmental Sciences, said:

"HS2 is championing the use of environmentally friendly energy solutions across the project, and this is another great example of just that. Reducing the reliance on mains sources of power while still moving away from diesel generated power is critical for the UKs low carbon future and trialling the use of hydrogen power to charge electric machines and for plant equipment as a whole will be a major step forward for the wider construction sector."

Ben Wheeldon, Programme Director for Mace Dragados, said:

"Our trialling of fuel cell generators at our Euston station site underlines our commitment to supporting HS2 with its aspiration to help drive a low carbon future in the UK.

"By using the electricity generated by AFC Energy's unit to power a very visible piece of equipment that we use on site each and every day, we are reminding our workforce of the need to put decarbonisation at the forefront of our industry's thinking and encouraging them to bring their own innovative ideas to Euston."  

Adam Bond, Chief Executive Officer at AFC Energy, said: 

"Our H-Power Tower has demonstrated that it is a reliable and highly efficient alternative to fossil fuel-based generators. The H-Power Tower's ability to support HS2, Europe's largest construction project, with clean and consistent power is irrefutable proof of concept for our technology. Hydrogen has the power to revolutionise construction, helping the industry meet its decarbonisation goals and reach Net Zero." 

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About AFC Energy

AFC Energy plc is commercialising scalable "fuel flexible" fuel cell systems, to provide clean electricity for on and off grid applications. The technology, pioneered over the past twelve years in the UK, is now deployable in electric vehicle chargers, off-grid decentralised power systems and data centre applications with emerging opportunities across maritime and rail as part of a portfolio approach to the decarbonisation of local electricity needs.