RCS - AFC Energy Plc - Hydrogen Fuel Cell System for Extreme E Unveiled

AFC EnergyAnnouncement

28/01/2021 07:00

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RNS Number : 1224N  AFC Energy Plc  28 January 2021

REACH: Non-regulatory announcement

28 January 2021: 7am

 

AFC Energy plc

("AFC Energy" or the "Company")

Extreme E and AFC Energy Unveil Pioneering Hydrogen Fuel Cell System for 2021
Championship

AFC Energy (AIM: AFC), a leading provider of hydrogen power generation
technologies, is pleased to unveil its new, zero emission power generator to
be featured in the inaugural Extreme E electric SUV racing series that begins
in April 2021.

Highlights

●     Extreme E's radical new all electric off-road racing series aims
to highlight the impact of climate change on some of the world's most fragile
ecosystems.

 

●     In July 2020, Extreme E and AFC Energy entered a world first
collaboration to power Season 1 race vehicles through adoption of the
Company's proprietary, zero emission, hydrogen fuel cell technology.

 

●     Following six months of collaborative engineering and design, AFC
Energy's Hydrogen power generator has been successfully commissioned, on
schedule, and is to be handed over to Extreme E this week.

 

●     Inspected in person by Extreme E's Engineering team, the fuel cell
system has been configured to operate across desert, arctic and high-altitude
locations.  It will power all of the Championship's ODYSSEY 21 electric SUVs
in its inaugural season of racing.

 

●     Extreme E and AFC Energy's partnership will showcase to a
worldwide audience of over 200 million the potential for Hydrogen to afford a
viable alternative to polluting diesel generators.

 

●     The fuel cell system will now be transported to Extreme E's
floating centrepiece, St. Helena, for shipment to the championship's first
race in AlUla, Saudi Arabia for the Desert X-Prix scheduled for the weekend of
the 3rd and 4th of April.

 

Today, Extreme E and AFC Energy unveil the Hydrogen fuel cell power system
that will be used to sustainably charge the Championship's ODYSSEY 21 electric
SUVs in its inaugural season of racing.

 

The AFC Energy designed and built system will highlight to Extreme E's global
audience the vast potential for today's newest clean power technologies to
displace polluting diesel generators, to which a large quantity of worldwide
greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed.

 

Engineered to withstand some of the world's harshest environmental conditions,
AFC Energy's specially modified fuel cell system will power vehicles across
five continents in Extreme E's first season, including race locations in the
Arctic, Amazon Rainforest, Sahara Desert and the heights of Tierra del Fuego
in Argentina.

 

Following six months of collaborative engineering with Extreme E's utilities
team, the fuel cell system has undergone a month of intensive commissioning in
January at AFC Energy's Surrey assembly facility, alongside battery management
systems and vehicle charging infrastructure testing.  Following inspection by
its Engineering team, it is now set for handover to Extreme E's logistics team
for shipping to the Season's first race in Saudi Arabia.

 

Race organisers and teams, including teams run by current Formula 1 World
Champion Lewis Hamilton (X44), former Champions Nico Rosberg (Rosberg Xtreme
Racing) and Jenson Button (JBXE), alongside high profile well-established
teams including Andretti United and Chip Ganassi Racing, will charge their
ODYSSEY 21 vehicles using electricity generated by AFC Energy's fuel cell
power system.  This in turn will inspire people, companies, and governments
to consider how clean power generation, such as that found in fuel cell
technology, can be utilised to urgently respond to the challenges brought on
by climate change.

 

With broadcast deals in place with Sky and BBC (UK), Discovery (Europe), Fox
Sports (US, Canada and the Caribbean) and a host of others, the series will
have an estimated global TV audience of over 200 million people to highlight
the environmental challenge and to showcase the technology used by the series.

 

AFC Energy will now move to the integration and delivery of Extreme E's
upstream green hydrogen fuelling solution which will be delivered to the
championship over the forthcoming months.

 

The system will be transported for shipping via the St. Helena, ahead of its
first race, the Desert X-Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, on the 3(rd) and 4(th)
of April.  A small number of AFC Energy staff will travel to the first race
in early April to monitor and maintain the performance of the H-Power system
over the race weekend.  The system will then subsequently be deployed to its
four other races across the remainder of the year, including Dakar, Senegal
(29-30 May), Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (28-29 August), Santorem, Brazil (23-24
October) and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (11-12 December).

 

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said:

"Hydrogen fuel cell charging in the world of motorsport is truly ground
breaking, and Extreme E is the first event of its kind to utilise this
technology. The product from AFC Energy offers an end-to-end emission free
solution for running our electric vehicles and I hope it will inspire other
organisations to investigate sustainable low emission alternatives when
running their events.

 

"The sign-off from the team is a real milestone for Extreme E, and I'm looking
forward to seeing the hydrogen fuel cell in action at our first race in Saudi
Arabia in just a couple of months' time. It has not been easy to get where we
are today, but the team has been more determined than ever to make Extreme E a
reality because the climate crisis isn't on hold for anyone or anything."

 

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

"Hydrogen continues to gain momentum as a viable worldwide platform that
affords a key solution to the decarbonisation of sectors where electrification
and grid infrastructure is absent.  Extreme E's vision to use motorsport as a
platform to introduce new technologies, such as fuel cell technology, to
support this goal is to be congratulated and AFC Energy is very proud to be
associated with such a landmark initiative.

 

"The past few months have delivered many new challenges in meeting the robust
specifications of the first Extreme E season to account for the range of
conditions in each of its five rounds, and today's unveiling reflects a strong
collaborative effort from both organisations.  Our collaboration with Extreme
E provides an incredible global platform to highlight the deployment of our
robust, innovative zero-emission system that will ultimately support the
decarbonisation of incumbent off-grid power systems across a number of global
industries including maritime, rail and construction.

 

"I look forward to Extreme E and AFC Energy's teams working closely together
to make the championship a success in 2021 whilst properly highlighting the
climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems to encourage global
decarbonisation."

 

-ENDS-

For further information:

 AFC ENERGY AND ADVISORS

                                                                    +44 (0) 14 8327 6726

 AFC Energy plc                                                     Investors@afcenergy.com (mailto:Investors@afcenergy.com)

 Adam Bond (Chief Executive Officer)

 Iain Thomson (Head of Communications and Stakeholder Management)
                                                                      +44 (0) 7900 205 460

 Tuva Partners - Public Relations

 Alex Brooks

    EXTREME E AND ADVISORS                                          +44 (0) 7778 108754

                                                                    +44 (0) 7944 077440

 Extreme E

 Julia Fry, Head of Communications

 

 MPA Creative - Public Relations

 Carla Corbet

 

About AFC Energy plc

AFC Energy plc is commercialising a scalable alkaline fuel cell system, 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 industrial gas
plants as part of a portfolio approach to the decarbonisation of local
electricity needs.

 

Afcenergy.com

 

 

 

About Extreme E

Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs
competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been
damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global
voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some
of the world's most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric
vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.

 

To minimise local impact, Extreme E races will not be open to spectators, with
fans instead invited to follow the action through live TV broadcast, and on
social media.

 

The St. Helena, a former passenger cargo ship, has undergone a multi-million
Euro refit to minimise emissions and transform her into Extreme E's operations
hub. The ship will be used to transport the championship's freight and
infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme
E's footprint, as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through
its on-board laboratory.

Extreme E is also pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology which will enable
its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy. This innovative
solution from AFC Energy uses water and sun to generate hydrogen power. Not
only will this process emit no greenhouse emissions, its only by-product will
be water, which will be utilised elsewhere on-site.

 

Season 1 Calendar:

 

Desert X Prix: AlUla, Saudi Arabia

3-4 April 2021

Ocean X Prix: Lac Rose, Senegal

29-30 May 2021

Arctic X Prix: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

28-29 August 2021

Amazon X Prix: Para, Brazil

23-24 October 2021

Glacier X Prix: Patagonia, Argentina

11-12 December 2021

 

extreme-e.com (http://www.extreme-e.com)

 

 

 

 

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