Permali, a composite manufacturer, has received UK government funding to further the development of a lightweight solution to enable existing diesel-powered buses to be retrofitted with hydrogen powertrains.
Funding has come from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to help Permali develop a green technology alternative and meet the UK’s net zero emissions target. Based in Gloucester, Permali will collaborate with hydrogen fuel-cell specialist Arcola Energy and the UK National Composites Centre (NCC).
Permali said it will work with the NCC to design and manufacture the proof-of-concept system, while Arcola Energy will integrate and test the system with hydrogen cylinders. The company said it aimed to achieve regulatory compliance and fit the new system to a double-decker bus.
The project will focus on developing and producing a low-cost, lightweight composite system to support the hydrogen-fuel cylinders by halving the weight of the current metallic hydrogen fuel-tank structure and increasing energy storage by 25%.
While the technology will initially be developed for buses, it could also be transferable to a wider range of vehicles including HGVs, trains and aircrafts, said Permali.
