WIREDGOV

BIS boosts investment in refuelling and recharging stations for green vehicles

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 28 July 2010

Six successful bidders will share £660,000 match funding from the Department of Business for gas refuelling or electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects.

A private business in Essex, three councils across Yorkshire and the West Midlands, a public body co-ordinating transport in Merseyside and a community group on the Isle of Lewis are all winners in the latest round of support from the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Grant Programme.

The six new projects will install infrastructure to support public and private sector fleets in trialling a wide range of natural gas, bio-gas and electric vehicles including buses, HGVs, and refuse collection vehicles. The projects offer the potential for fleet users to demonstrate cost and carbon savings as well as making significant local air quality improvements.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said:

"This funding is part of our commitment to build a low-carbon economy which will boost economic growth as well as help meet our ambitious climate change targets. It is one of the ways we are supporting changes in consumer behaviour that will drive the shift towards low carbon vehicle technologies.”

The £660k BIS funding is in addition to the £500k already committed by the Department for Transport earlier in the year.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said:

“I welcome this addition funding to support low carbon vehicle infrastructure. Low carbon vehicles provide significant benefits – reducing CO 2 emissions and improving air quality – but we need adequate refuelling points if the market for these vehicles is to grow.These projects will help to make low carbon vehicles a viable alternative for businesses and individuals.”

Notes to editors:

1. The AFIGP supports the installation of refuelling or recharging stations for a range of alternative fuels – natural gas / biogas, hydrogen and electricity. The scheme is run by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and has been running for 3 years, bringing alternatively fuelled cars to be trialled in the UK and making cost effective contributions to carbon abatement.

2. The scheme was launched in 2005 and in the three years to 2008 funded 77 electric vehicle stations (including 82 charging points), 5 natural gas stations and 20 bio-ethanol stations. The scheme was initially granted State Aid clearance up to 2008 but following renewed State Aid clearance under a temporary framework to December 2010 the scheme was re-launched in July 2009.

3. £500k was available for each of the financial years 2009/10 and 2010/11 on a maximum 50% match-funded basis. Cenex, the Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technology, is administering the scheme on behalf of the Department. The first round of bidding for 2009/10 closed on 30 September 2009 and the successful 7 bids were awarded the full £500k available. The second funding window, for the 2010/11 financial year allocation, closed on 9th December 2009 and the 4 successful projects were awarded the full allocation.

4. Since 2009, funded projects include 2 Hydrogen refuelling stations, 5 biogas stations, and 4 electric vehicle projects.

Howard Tenens | Scheme type: Gas | Location: Essex | Grant Award: £332,300 | % of total eligible cost: 48%

Sheffield City Council | Scheme type: Gas | Location: Sheffield | Grant Award: £125,000 | % of total eligible cost: 50%

Leeds City Council | Scheme type: Gas | Location: Leeds | Grant Award: £75,500 | % of total eligible cost: 50%

Galson Estate Trust | Scheme type: Electric | Location: Isle of Lewis | Grant Award: £3,525 | % of total eligible cost: 50%

Coventry City Council | Sheme type: Electric | Location: Coventry | Grant Award: £75,762 | % of total eligible cost: 49%

Mersey Travel | Scheme type: Electric | Location: Liverpool | Grant award: £47,000 | % of total eligible cost: 50%

Grant awards total: £659,087

5. The third funding window closed on 31 March 2010 and 13 compliant bids (8 electric and 5 gas) were considered. The successful bids to be funded through the additional BIS funding are:

Contacts:

BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk

Rebecca Murrell
Phone: 020 7215 6403
Rebecca.Murrell@bis.gsi.gov.uk