Author: rusty

Mark Lawday alongside Luxfer's industry-leading range of G-Stor Pro (Type-3) and G-Stor Go (Type-4) alternative fuel cylinders

UK, 31 January 2021:  In a significant acceleration towards the UK’s green energy ambitions, the hydrogen bus hits the streets of Aberdeen in a world-first this week – featuring a bespoke system from Luxfer Gas Cylinders.

The zero emission double decker was manufactured by Wrightbus, who enlisted the expertise of Luxfer to design, manufacture and supply the hydrogen fuel system that powers the bus.  

The system for the 15-strong fleet features Luxfer’s G-Stor™ H2 hydrogen cylinders. Around 150,000 of these types of cylinders are already in service worldwide, equipping over 10,000 CNG buses and an increasing number of hydrogen buses plus approximately 4,500 refuse vehicles.

Mark Lawday, a Director at Luxfer Gas Cylinders explains: “The hydrogen economy is now taking off, but it’s an area we’ve worked in for three decades. Luxfer has pioneered hydrogen storage systems and valve technology, and we were brought into this project by Wrightbus in 2017 to help design how the hydrogen system could work to deliver the best range, in a cost effective solution. 

“Aberdeen has been at the forefront of hydrogen, proving it is viable, and we worked with them on introducing an original fleet of 10 hydrogen buses to the city too. It’s fantastic that these new double deckers will begin their journeys with passengers soon.” 

The Aberdeen launch is part of the €32million EU-funded JIVE (Joint Initiative for hydrogen Vehicles across Europe) project, which is deploying 139 zero emission buses and refuelling stations across five countries. In the UK, Aberdeen, Liverpool, Birmingham and London will welcome the green fleets, with Aberdeen home to the very first double deckers to operate.

Wrightbus chairman, Jo Bamford, said it was a proud moment to see the buses in full operation for the first time.

He said: “Everyone at Wrightbus is incredibly proud to see the world’s-first hydrogen double decker bus fleet in full service and carrying passengers around the streets of Aberdeen. It marks a pivotal moment in the city’s commitment to reaching net zero.

“We will see further Wrightbus hydrogen buses in locations across the UK, with fleets due to launch in Birmingham and London later this year. It’s vital that other towns and cities sit up and take note of their example. 

"Hydrogen has an important part to play in the decarbonisation of transport and the reduction in CO2 levels that we need to reach to ensure a net zero future, and we're delighted to be working with Luxfer Gas Cylinders towards achieving this.”

The unveiling follows UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledging a green industrial revolution, creating jobs and infrastructure to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The potential for harnessing wind power and investing in hydrogen technology are central to the Prime Minister’s plans.

Luxfer has itself invested in its alternative fuel capability, in 2019 expanding its Nottingham base in response to demand from customers across the transport sector, including bus manufacturers. 

How the onboard hydrogen technology works

1. Hydrogen is stored in Luxfer’s multi-cylinder system, located at the rear of the bus. It is regulated to low pressure and feeds an adjacent onboard fuel cell
2. The hydrogen passes along the surface of the fuel cell membrane, splitting into protons and electrons that create an electric current. This combines with oxygen from atmospheric air to form water (the only by-product)
3. This electric energy charges a battery pack, which is placed beneath the bus floor
4. The bus is driven by a compact electric motor that draws on the battery as needed.

Mark Lawday adds: “At Luxfer, we believe in creating a greener world for future generations, and we’re passionate that hydrogen is the key to safe and sustainable transport.“We’re working with a number of commercial vehicle manufacturers around the world to supply industry leading hydrogen cylinders and, in many cases, to design hydrogen fuel systems to meet the highest technological and safety requirements.”Luxfer’s legacy in hydrogen includes a series of milestones. These include:

• The world’s first commercially produced hydrogen trucks. A multi-million-pound project integrating hydrogen technology into more than 50 trucks has been delivered this year, marking the first such green fleet in history. The vehicles, which will transport supermarket deliveries across Switzerland, are equipped with bespoke alternative fuel systems from Luxfer. Each feature a 190-kilowatt fuel cell comprised of seven high-pressure tanks holding around 35kg of hydrogen. This provides a long-distance range of more than 400km before refuelling, which far surpasses the capabilities of battery electric truck technology. 
• The UK’s first hydrogen-powered train. Unveiled in June 2019, the HydroFLEX project comprises a former Thameslink electric train retrofitted to run using a hydrogen fuel system. Luxfer’s alternative fuel experts worked in close collaboration with Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research, which won the Department for Transport funding to support the concept. The four-cylinder hydrogen solution was developed and assembled at Luxfer’s UK alternative fuel facility and in September 2020 the train hit the mainline for the first time. 
• The world’s first self-sufficient hydrogen-powered boat. Launched in 2017, Energy Observer is a floating laboratory travelling from continent to continent, exploring practical solutions and new innovations in ecological transition. The world's first vessel to be powered by and create hydrogen, Luxfer installed and supplied hydrogen gas cylinders for the project.
• The first commercially available hydrogen powered refuse trucks. In development for the last two years, Luxfer has worked with refuse truck manufacturers in Europe to design, fit and support 20 vehicles. With greater range and power than electric systems, a key requirement of heavy loads vehicles like refuse trucks, Luxfer is helping city authorities in these countries to reach their ambitious carbon reduction targets.

Luxfer Gas Cylinders, the world’s largest manufacturer of lightweight high pressure cylinders, is a member of the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) and the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (UKHFCA).

About Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Luxfer Gas Cylinders (www.luxfercylinders.com) is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure composite and aluminum cylinders. More than 70 million Luxfer cylinders in service around the world have an exemplary record for dependability and safety in a variety of applications, including firefighter and first-responder life support, medical, fire extinguishers, alternative fuel, specialty gas, beverage, aerospace, inflation, scuba and performance racing. An operating company of Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR), Luxfer Gas Cylinders is based in Riverside, California, and has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., England, Canada, and China. For more information on Luxfer Gas Cylinders visit: https://www.luxfercylinders.com/.

About Luxfer Holdings PLC (“Luxfer”)

Luxfer is a global manufacturer of highly-engineered industrial materials, which focuses on value creation by using its broad array of technical knowhow and proprietary technologies. Luxfer’s high-performance materials, components, and high-pressure gas containment devices are used in defense and emergency response, healthcare, transportation, and general industrial applications. For more information, visit www.luxfer.com.

Issued on behalf of Luxfer Cylinders by The Tonic Communications. For more information contact luxfer@thetoniccomms.co.uk or call 0115 8248254.

A perspective from Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Despite the challenging economic environment of the past year, its 20-year legacy in hydrogen fuel storage has led Luxfer Gas Cylinders to see a five-fold increase in enquiries in 2020, from forward thinking companies exploring the harnessing of hydrogen power for transport projects.

As the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure composite and aluminium cylinders, Luxfer Gas Cylinders has unrivalled industry-leading expertise in designing and supplying the storage systems that hold the alternative fuel.

Please click the link below to view the full article.

Reprinted with permission from H2 View

Europe arrival of the Hyundai Xcient Fuel-Cell trucks premiered today (14 October 2020) in digital livestream

A multi-million dollar project integrating hydrogen technology into 50 trucks will complete this year, marking the first such green fleet in operation in the world.

The Hyundai Xcient Fuel-Cell trucks – which will transport supermarket deliveries and other goods across Switzerland – are equipped with bespoke systems from Luxfer, the world’s largest manufacturer of high pressure composite and aluminum cylinders.

Hydrogen powers the 19-tonne vehicles thanks to more than 400 Luxfer G-Stor™ H2 hydrogen cylinders manufactured in Luxfer Calgary, Canada and assembled from Luxfer’s UK base in Nottingham. Their European arrival was celebrated with a livestream digital premiere on 14 October 2020.

Since development began on the landmark project in Feb 2019, the Luxfer Hyundai design team have developed the framework and pipework for seamless integration into Hyundai’s vehicles, all adhering to stringent quality and safety regulations.

Mark Lawday, a Director at Luxfer Gas Cylinders, said: “We’ve been working with Hyundai for around ten years on prototypes, as Hyundai is hugely committed to hydrogen power. Our role is to provide the knowledge of a complete fuel system to bring their ideas to life. There is significant interest in hydrogen and CNG (compressed natural gas) across the world, and Governments are now committing to cleaner transport technology as a route to meeting zero emission targets.”

The Hyundai H2 Xcients were manufactured in South Korea and a number are already in operation in Switzerland, where they are leased out by Hyundai’s joint venture with H2 Energy to Swiss retailers and logistic companies. The final systems are nearing completion and anticipated to be installed to trucks that will join the fleet later this year.

Each feature a 190 kilowatt fuel cell comprised of seven high-pressure tanks holding around 35kg of hydrogen. This provides a long distance range of about 400km before refueling is required, which far surpasses the capabilities of vehicles powered by electric. 

Hyundai is investing heavily in hydrogen, planning to put 1,600 hydrogen trucks on Swiss roads by 2025 and set to launch similar projects in other European countries as well.

“It is not enough to produce a truck” said Mark Freymueller, chief executive of Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM). “You have to take care of the entire ecosystem, find like-minded partners and show this all makes sense for the customer.”

Luxfer anticipates that H2 will become increasingly attractive for heavy goods transportation, as the cost of producing clean fuel drops and greener alternatives to diesel are supported with funding.

Mark Lawday explains: “Switzerland is an ideal market for hydrogen-powered trucks, thanks in part because the country generates more than half of its energy from hydropower, so if this can be used to generate the hydrogen then it completely eliminates emissions. 

 “There are a number of benefits hydrogen can deliver over other low emission alternatives, such as battery electric vehicles (BEV).  Hydrogen fuel cells can generate more power when pulling heavier loads uphill than an equivalent sized battery, and offer a greater range. 

“Ultimately, hydrogen will be more economically viable than BEV for truck fleets specifically because of the faster fuelling times. Hauliers cannot afford to have their stock laid up several times per day charging, and the burden that simultaneous charging of a complete fleet puts on the local electricity grid becomes cost prohibitive, so that’s where hydrogen is the best solution.”

A business unit of Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR), Luxfer Gas Cylinders was commissioned by Hyundai thanks to its track record of designing and manufacturing thousands of gas fuel systems each year. In fact, Luxfer recently expanded its hydrogen facility in Nottingham, to meet the increased demand for alternative fuel solutions for the transport industry. 

The Hydrogen Council estimates there will be 50,000 hydrogen-powered buses and 350,000 hydrogen powered trucks on the world’s roads by 2030.

Luxfer is manufacturing many hydrogen vehicles for the UK, including the world-first hydrogen double-deckers that arrived in Aberdeen in early October. Similar schemes featuring Luxfer expertise planned in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Brighton.

In rail, Luxfer’s G-Stor® H2 hydrogen cylinders also fuel the UK’s first full-sized hydrogen powered train, which was launched in 2019 and was tested on the mainline network earlier this month. It will offer a range of around 600 miles, powered solely by hydrogen.

About Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Luxfer Gas Cylinders (www.luxfercylinders.com) is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure composite and aluminum cylinders. More than 70 million Luxfer cylinders in service around the world have an exemplary record for dependability and safety in a variety of applications, including firefighter and first-responder life support, medical, fire extinguishers, alternative fuel, specialty gas, beverage, aerospace, inflation, scuba and performance racing. An operating company of Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR), Luxfer Gas Cylinders is based in Riverside, California, and has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., England, Canada, and China. For more information on Luxfer Gas Cylinders visit: https://www.luxfercylinders.com/.

About Luxfer Holdings PLC (“Luxfer”)

Luxfer is a global manufacturer of highly-engineered industrial materials, which focuses on value creation by using its broad array of technical knowhow and proprietary technologies. Luxfer’s high-performance materials, components, and high-pressure gas containment devices are used in defense and emergency response, healthcare, transportation, and general industrial applications. For more information, visit www.luxfer.com.

Issued on behalf of Luxfer Cylinders by The Tonic Communications. For more information contact luxfer@thetoniccomms.co.uk or call 0115 8248254.

UK, Thursday 1 October 2020: Tipped to be the largest online conference and exhibition of its nature this year, October’s Mission Hydrogen welcomes the ‘who’s who’ from the sector including Luxfer Gas Cylinders, as it showcases global firsts in alternative fuel systems.

Luxfer Gas Cylinders, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure composite and aluminum cylinders, is joining the online event as an exhibitor on October 8th, profiling from its virtual booth, its industry-leading hydrogen storage and delivery systems.

A spotlight will be placed on the company’s alternative fuel expertise, specifically systems featuring its G-Stor™ H2 hydrogen cylinders – for which the brand is internationally renowned as a partner in zero-emission hydrogen powered vehicles.

Mark Lawday, a Director at Luxfer Gas Cylinders who will be part of the team manning the show, explains: “We’re looking forward to meeting with innovators and like-minded brands who recognise the benefits of hydrogen and want to see how our technology is being used to effect positive change around the world.

“Anyone visiting our stand can look through our literature or have a live chat with one of the Luxfer team and we’re expecting the conversations to be heavily focused on our extensive experience working with leading manufacturers to deliver hydrogen-powered vehicles that are commercially available today, and how we can valuably contribute to future projects.”

Now in its eighth decade of business, Luxfer’s legacy in hydrogen spans more than 20 years including its role pioneering the hydrogen tank and valve technology, and more recently a series of world-first accolades. These include:

• The world’s first hydrogen buses. Luxfer has worked with bus partners to make hydrogen-powered buses a reality. For example, joining an innovative EU-funded pilot, 10 zero-emission vehicles, featuring Luxfer’s G-Stor™ H2 hydrogen cylinders, hit the roads in Aberdeen, Scotland in 2015. The next phase of 15 vehicles will launch in the coming months.
• The UK’s first hydrogen-powered train. Unveiled in June 2019, the HydroFLEX project comprises a former Thameslink electric train retrofitted to run using a hydrogen fuel system. Luxfer’s alternative fuel experts worked in close collaboration with Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research, which won the Department for Transport funding to support the concept. The four-cylinder hydrogen solution was developed and assembled at Luxfer’s UK alternative fuel facility and in September 2020 the train hit the tracks for the first time.
• The first commercially available hydrogen powered refuse trucks. In development for the last two years, Luxfer has worked with refuse truck manufacturers in Europe to design, fit and support 20 vehicles. With greater range and power than electric systems, a key requirement of heavy loads vehicles like refuse trucks, Luxfer is helping city authorities in these countries to reach their ambitious carbon reduction targets.
• The world’s first commercially produced hydrogen trucks. A multi-million-pound project integrating hydrogen technology into 60 trucks has been delivered this year, marking the first such green fleet in history. The vehicles, which will transport supermarket deliveries across Switzerland, are equipped with bespoke alternative fuel systems from Luxfer. Each feature a 190-kilowatt fuel cell comprised of seven high-pressure tanks holding around 35kg of hydrogen. This provides a long-distance range of more than 400km before refuelling, which far surpasses the capabilities of battery electric truck technology.
• The world’s first self-sufficient hydrogen-powered boat. Launched in 2017, Energy Observer is a floating laboratory travelling from continent to continent, exploring practical solutions and new innovations in ecological transition. The world's first vessel to be powered by and create hydrogen, Luxfer installed and supplied hydrogen gas cylinders for the project.

Lawday continues: “Interest in alternative fuels is at an all-time high, thanks to net zero emission targets set by global leaders. Hydrogen provides a very real solution for transport, most recently praised by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the UN Climate Conference. Thanks to our heritage and expertise in the sector, we are extremely well placed to help drive programmes on from conception to realisation.”

Tickets are still available for Mission Hydrogen which starts at 6am Central European Time on Thursday 8th October and runs for 24 hours. It is expected to attract thousands of attendees from across the world, including engineers, scientists and policymakers and will feature over 30 high-profile expert talks. Luxfer’s stand can be visited by hovering over the brand’s logo on event day. Visit: www.hydrogen-online-conference.com/tickets.

About Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Luxfer Gas Cylinders (www.luxfercylinders.com) is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure composite and aluminum cylinders. More than 70 million Luxfer cylinders in service around the world have an exemplary record for dependability and safety in a variety of applications, including firefighter and first-responder life support, medical, fire extinguishers, alternative fuel, specialty gas, beverage, aerospace, inflation, scuba and performance racing. An operating company of Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE:LXFR), Luxfer Gas Cylinders is based in Riverside, California, and has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., England, Canada, China and India. For more information on Luxfer Gas Cylinders visit: www.luxfercylinders.com.

About Luxfer Holdings PLC (“Luxfer”)

Luxfer is a global manufacturer of highly-engineered industrial materials, which focuses on value creation by using its broad array of technical knowhow and proprietary technologies. Luxfer’s high-performance materials, components, and high-pressure gas containment devices are used in defense and emergency response, healthcare, transportation, and general industrial applications. For more information, visit www.luxfer.com.

Luxfer Gas Cylinders has worked with Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham to develop the UK’s first hydrogen-powered train, set to be the first of its kind to be trailed on the UK mainline.

Launched last year, HydroFLEX is the nation’s first full-sized hydrogen powered demonstrator train fitted with Luxfer’s G-Stor® H2 hydrogen cylinders. The HyrdroFLEX project was unveiled at the RailLive 2019 show and comprises a former Thameslink electric train retrofitted to run using a hydrogen fuel system.

The HydroFLEX will now run on the UK mainline, following a trial for commercial use launching in the Midlands on Wednesday 30th September 2020. The announcement comes as the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub is established in Tees Valley, supported by a £750,000 grant from the Department for Transport. The test is a big step forward towards the UK’s net zero targets and follows recent support for hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Unlike diesel trains, hydrogen-powered trains do not emit harmful gases, instead using hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water and heat. The ground-breaking technology behind the trains will also be available by 2023 to retrofit current in-service trains to hydrogen helping decarbonise the rail network and make rail journeys greener and more efficient.

“We’re proud to have worked on this innovative project which marks a significant step towards realising the UK’s ambitions to have a more efficient, greener transport network,” said Lewis Anderson, Alternative Fuel Manager at Luxfer Gas Cylinders.

The four-cylinder hydrogen solution was developed and assembled in Luxfer’s Nottingham, UK alternative fuel facility, which also supplies bespoke hydrogen solutions for a number of vehicles including buses, refuse trucks, commercial lorries and even boats.

“With the government’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, hydrogen provides a real alternative to diesel transport and electricity,” commented Mark Lawday, global director of Alternative Fuels at Luxfer Gas Cylinders.  “This project is an excellent example of Luxfer’s commitment to a clean, green economy across the globe.”