Solid fuel

has announced the third of its R&D investments – to investigate the production of a low-cost, solid nano-material with the potential to store and release hydrogen at room temperature and low pressure.

The resulting material could have a range of energy applications in fuel cell and battery systems. The R&D project and the associated commercial development will be based in Scotland.

Earlier this year, ITI disclosed that it was to invest over £5 million in two research projects to develop the next generation of batteries for use in mobile phones, laptops and electric/hybrid electric vehicles.

The new nano-material project involves a collaboration between ITI Energy, Alterg SA from France and the University of Strathclyde, with additional partners to be added in the future.

The R&D project is driven by early work that ITI Energy has undertaken in the energy storage sector. ITI plans to invest up to £1 million to further evaluate and optimise a basic enabling nano-material that it has already developed. The potential follow-on R&D projects involving additional applications could see ITI Energy investing upwards of £3 million in each.

Alterg’s technical and business development team will relocate from France to Scotland, and be based at the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Chemical and Process Engineering in Glasgow. The company will be contributing all its background Intellectual Property and know how from the senior management team, which includes Denis Huguenin, Managing Director of Alterg, a holder of a number of active patents in the field.

Strathclyde will be providing specialised R&D services in the production and testing of the new materials under the direction of Professor Peter Hall, an expert in fuel and energy technologies.