New hydrogen-powered cars could be built in the North East of Scotland if the region secures green freeport status, potentially creating more than 800 jobs.
Riversimple, inventors of the pioneering Rasa hydrogen vehicle, is in active talks about locating a 150,000 sq ft manufacturing plant in Aberdeen.
Representatives from the company will join parliamentarians and business leaders at a private business breakfast in the Palace of Westminster, hosted by Banff & Buchan MP David Duguid, as the region takes its green freeport campaign to London.
The Riversimple plant would produce over 5,000 vehicles per year. The company is currently beta testing a small fleet of Rasas, with a new car also under development for production.
The company’s founder Hugo Spowers believes the two-seater eco coupe is “the most energy efficient car on the planet”.
The Oxford University trained engineer and entrepreneur, who was made an MBE in June, has visited the North East of Scotland to scope out potential sites, after being invited by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
Riversimple has since signed a letter supporting the North East Scotland Green Freeport bid, saying the tax status, together with the existing energy sector supply chain, would “significantly increase” the likelihood of the company investing.
“One of the locations we are considering for the establishment of operations is the North East of Scotland,” the letter stated. “We are in discussions with regional partners about the possibility of establishing a manufacturing plant…encouraging the clustering of supply chain companies and other original equipment manufacturers within the hydrogen sector.”
The Scottish and UK governments are working together to create two green freeports in Scotland by next year.
The North East Scotland Green Freeport consortium - led by the Port of Aberdeen, Peterhead Port Authority, Aberdeen International Airport and the region's two local authorities - has vowed to use the designation to place the area at the heart of the global energy transition.
The Riversimple letter added: “Aberdeen, as a leading hydrogen city, and the surrounding region is attractive to our business on account of the hydrogen initiatives already underway.
“These include the rolling out of hydrogen-powered buses and commercial vehicles operating in the city, the joint venture partnership between the city council and BP to deliver the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub and the Acorn Hydrogen project at St Fergus.
“North East Scotland Green Freeport, with its stated aim of making the North East of Scotland the Net Zero Capital of Europe and a global pioneer of hydrogen energy, would make the region even more attractive to us, increasing significantly the likelihood of our investment into the region.”
The engineering of Riversimple cars is unique compared to other vehicles on the market. The hydrogen in the fuel cell goes via a proton exchange membrane, where it interacts with oxygen to generate water and electricity. The electricity is then routed to the motors located in each wheel.
When the car stops, the kinetic energy that is commonly lost as heat gets caught as electricity. This electricity flows into a bank of super-capacitors at the front of the car as the car slows.
The Riversimple Rasa has a 300-mile range and delivers more than 200 mpg equivalent. It has a top speed of only 60 mph, but because of the car's construction, it reaches that pace in under 10 seconds.
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