The hydrogen fuel station in Teddington uses excess or 'spare' electricity on the grid to generate industrial-scale electrolysis of water on-site
Electrolysis breaks down the water into its building block parts of hydrogen and oxygen, and the hydrogen is then stored under pressure. The fuel cell cars work by a process of 'reverse electrolysis' in that the hydrogen goes through a chemical reaction on a catalyst membrane in the car. This produces energy in the form of electricity which powers the electric motors. The remaining residue is pure water – created by the hydrogen and oxygen atoms re-uniting to form H2O. Refueling at the site takes about three minutes and fills the tank with 5kg of pressurized hydrogen at a cost of £10 per kg, providing a range of between 300 and 500 miles, depending on the car model. The station’s daily refuel capacity is 16 vehicles.