Intelligent Energy is a

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen fuel, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most bat ...

engineering business focused on the development, manufacture and commercialisation of its

proton-exchange membrane fuel cell Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), also known as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, are a type of fuel cell being developed mainly for transport applications, as well as for stationary fuel-cell applications and portable ...

technologies for a range of markets including automotive, stationary power, materials handling equipment and

UAVs An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...

. It is headquartered in the UK, with representation in the US,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

History

The origins of Intelligent Energy began at

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when ...

in the UK during the late 1980s, when the University became one of Europe's first research and development centres for proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology. In 1995, the UK's first kW-level PEM fuel cell stack was produced by the R&D team. In June of that year, Advanced Power Sources (APS) Ltd was founded as a spin-off from Loughborough University by Paul Adcock, Phil Mitchell, Jon Moore and Anthony Newbold,Fuel Cell Success for Former Loughborough Lecturer
/ref> and was the first company in the UK formed specifically to address the development and commercialisation of PEM fuel cells. Founded by Harry Bradbury, Intelligent Energy was established in 2001, acquiring Advanced Power Sources Ltd, together with its personnel and fuel cell related intellectual property that originated from research conducted by both APS and Loughborough University into PEM fuel cell technology. This triggered investment and enabled the company to grow its business activities.
. ''Cleantech Investor''. October 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In March 2005, it launched the

ENV env is a shell command for Unix and Unix-like operating systems. It is used to either print a list of environment variables or run another utility in an altered environment without having to modify the currently existing environment. Using env, ...

, the world's first purpose-built fuel cell motorbike, which gained the company recognition as a Technology Pioneer by the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

in 2006. The ENV incorporated the company's air-cooled fuel cell technology hybridised with a battery pack to provide 6kW

peak load In electrical engineering, a load profile is a graph of the variation in the electrical load versus time. A load profile will vary according to customer type (typical examples include residential, commercial and industrial), temperature and hol ...

to the motor to improve performance during spikes in power demand i.e. acceleration.Intelligent Energy’s ENV Fuel Cell Motorcycle
''Green Car Congress''. 16 March 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In 2007, a partnership was announced with Suzuki Motor Corporation to develop hydrogen fuel cells for a range of vehicles.Intelligent Energy and Suzuki to Partner on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Motorcycles
''Green Car Congress''. 8 February 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In 2008, Intelligent Energy established the company IE-CHP in a joint venture with

SSE plc SSE plc (formerly Scottish and Southern Energy plc) is a multinational energy company headquartered in Perth, Scotland. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. SSE operates in the United Kingdom ...

, to develop fuel cells and other technologies for CHP (Combined Heat and Power) applications.Fuel cell combined heat and power venture secures £3.7 million
Energy Efficiency News. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In the same year, Intelligent Energy also produced the power system for the first fuel cell powered manned flight in conjunction with

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and ...

.Boeing fuel cell plane in manned aviation first

Science Direct ScienceDirect is a website which provides access to a large bibliographic database of scientific and medical publications of the Dutch publisher Elsevier. It hosts over 18 million pieces of content from more than 4,000 academic journals and 30 ...

. April 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In 2010, its fuel-cell taxi received ''The Engineer'' Technology and Innovation Award. In March 2011, the

Suzuki Burgman The Burgman series of scooters (known in Japan as Skywave) is produced by Suzuki with engine capacities from 125 cc up to 638 cc. AN series Launched in 1998, the original model line-up consisted of the AN250 and AN400Y models. In 2002 ...

fuel cell scooter, equipped with Intelligent Energy's fuel cell system, became the first fuel cell vehicle to achieve European Whole Vehicle Type Approval.Suzuki’s Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter becomes world’s first fuel cell vehicle to earn European Whole Vehicle Type Approval
Global Suzuki. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In 2012, SMILE FC System Corporation, a joint venture between Intelligent Energy and Suzuki Motor Corporation, was established to develop and manufacture air-cooled fuel cell systems for the automotive and a range of industry sectors.UK-based company Intelligent Energy and partner Suzuki unveil joint venture to develop and manufacture new fuel cell systems
. SMMT. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013. During the same year, a fleet of fuel cell taxis incorporating Intelligent Energy's technology was used during the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. Part of the European Union-funded HyTEC (Hydrogen Technologies in European Cities) project launched in 2011, the taxis were used to transport VIP guests of the Mayor of London around the city.Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Taxis Drive Olympic VIPs 2500 Miles
Fuel Cell Today. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In 2013, SMILE FC Corporation announced that it had established a ready-to-scale production line for its fuel cell systems, utilising Intelligent Energy's semi-automated production technology.Intelligent Energy and Suzuki Announce Ready-to-Scale Fuel Cell Production Line
. Electric Cars Report. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013. IE-CHP also received CE certification for its first-generation product, a 10 kWe/12 kWth combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell. The certification allows the product to be sold in the

European Economic Area The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade As ...

, confirming that the product satisfies all the EU regulatory and conformity assessment procedures covering the design, manufacture, and testing of the system.Intelligent Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy JV IE-CHP Receives CE Certification for First Fuel Cell Product
Fuel Cell Today. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013. Intelligent Energy was acquired by Meditor Energy, part of the Meditor Group, in October 2017. In 2018, Intelligent Energy announced the launch of its IE-LIFT 802/804 fuel cell modules for power generation applications such as stationary power, micro-grids, telecoms, and critical infrastructure. The company launched its Charitable Trust in January 2019. The Trust allocates £100,000 to local charities and voluntary organisations in the Charnwood area each year. The Charitable Trust's first year of awardees include
Shepshed Dolphin Swimming ClubADAPT Prem BabiesCitizens Advice BureauLoughborough University Students Union Action Section
an
The Bridge
During 2019, Intelligent Energy's IE-SOAR 650W UAV fuel cell module broke an Official World Record flight time of over 12 hours. The company also launched its higher power fuel cell module for UAV applications (IE-SOAR 2.4kW) which offers flight durations of over 5 times that compared to batteries and lastly, joined th
Project ESTHER
consortium at the end of the year. The goal of the project was to develop hydrogen fuel cells for use in passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles. In 2021, the company joined th
H2GEAR programme
This programme involved the development of ground-breaking hydrogen propulsion system for aircraft wit
GKN Aerospace
In February of the same year, the company joined StasHH. The European consortium was created to introduce standardisation for heavy duty fuel cell modules, with the goal to successfully develop and integrate these modules into trucks and buses. In October 2021, the IE-LIFT 1T/1U fuel cell module for warehousing and materials handling equipment was launched. In 2022, Intelligent Energy an
FES GmbH Fahrzeug-Entwicklung Sachsen (FES)
worked together wit

to develop a bespoke solution for th
DS Automotion
built Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) in operation at the BMW Leipzig factory. The company was also chosen b

for its pipeline inspection operations in the North-eastern United States. Using Intelligent Energy’
IE-SOAR™ 2.4kW
on
Harris Aerial
H6 airframe, the company was able to compare fuel cells with ICE hybrid technology. In August the company achieved 160kW from a single auto stack. Breaking the 150kW barrier has been a longstanding target for IE’s trademark fuel cell ‘stack’. At over 200 BHP, this is more power than the typical family car.

Technology

Intelligent Energy's fuel-cell technology is divided into two platforms: air-cooled (AC) and evaporatively-cooled (EC). The air-cooled fuel cell systems use low-power fans to provide cooling and the oxidant supply for operation. Heat from the fuel cell stack is conducted to cooling plates and removed through airflow channels, a simplified and cost-effective system for the power range from a few watts to several kilowatts. They are used in a wide range of UAV, stationary power and automotive applications for two-wheel and small car range extender applications. Evaporatively-cooled (EC) fuel cell systems provide power generation from a few kilowatts up to 200kW. Efficient thermal management of the EC fuel cell stack reduces system complexity, mass and cost. These systems are designed for high-volume, low-cost manufacturing, and use modular architecture that can be quickly modified to suit the application.

Market sectors

Automotive

IE-DRIVE™
is Intelligent Energy’s (IE) latest high-power hydrogen fuel cell system. Utilising their patented evaporatively cooled (EC) technology, their fuel cells for automotive and stationary applications deliver compact, modular systems with fewer components, improved reliability, and reduced system costs. IE-DRIVE fuel cell modules can be used for trucks, vans, bus/coach, rail, marine, construction and stationary power. In 2010, the company was involved in the development of the report entitled “A portfolio of power-trains for Europe: a fact-based analysis. The role of

Battery Electric Vehicles A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, wi ...

Plug-In Hybrids A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engine ...

and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles”, produced by

McKinsey & Company McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...

with input from car manufacturers, oil and gas suppliers, utilities and industrial gas companies, wind turbine and

electrolyser In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a technique that uses Direct current, direct electric current (DC) to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction. Electrolysis is commercially important as a stage in the separation of c ...

companies as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations. The report concluded, amongst other findings, that fuel cell vehicles are technology ready, and cost competitive, and that decarbonisation targets for

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

are unlikely to be met without the introduction of fuel cell powertrains.A portfolio of power-trains for Europe: a fact-based analysis
''Fuel Cells and Hydrogen''. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2013.

UAVs

The company provides fuel cells to power UAVs and aerial drones. Its UAV Fuel Cell Modules, sat under th
IE-SOAR™
product line, run on hydrogen and ambient air to produce DC power in a lightweight package, providing extended flight times when compared to battery systems. Our IE-SOAR fuel cell modules deliver clean power from 800W to 2.4kW, with the flexibility of integrating modules together to reach higher power outputs. Applications include pipeline inspection, surveying & mapping and security.

Stationary Power

IE-LIFT™ is Intelligent Energy's eco friendly hydrogen fuel cell used across a wide range of applications including standby power, materials handling, telecoms, micro-grids and construction delivering zero emission energy. The product line provides a range of power outputs for diesel replacements and backup power. The company has field proven its fuel cell products in the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

telecommunications market, with a tower uptime of close to 100% Hydrogen fuel cells for telecoms: Clean power is calling
''Critical Power Online''. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013. and in recent years, integrated its fuel cells into welfare cabins situated on th
HS2 site

Materials Handling Equipment

Th
IE-LIFT™
1T and 1U are Intelligent Energy’s class leading 1kW fuel cell modules for motive and man-portable applications. With a compact size and high level of robustness, these modules can be easily integrated into systems for use in distribution warehousing, manufacturing facilities, and construction sites. The unique “U-Flow” air management system allows the unit to be integrated and operated efficiently in confined spaces, such as forklift trucks, MEWPs, and mobile lighting towers. The fuel cell modules are integrated into forklifts and AGVs to provide zero-emission power in warehouse applications, most notably with BMW Group in Leipzig.

Membership of industry consortia and trade associations

The company is a founding member of UKH₂ Mobility, a government and industry group aiming to accelerate the commercial roll-out of hydrogen vehicles in 2014/15;Intelligent Energy announces its support for UKH₂ Mobility
''Loughborough University''. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2013. It is also a member of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, the US-based

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...

for the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry, dedicated to the commercialisation of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies.Members List
. ''Fuel Cell& Hydrogen Energy Association''. Retrieved 19 June 2013.

Recognition and awards

* 2005 – The Sunday Times Tech Track 100.Tech Track Ranking
. ''Fast Track''. 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2005 – ''Popular Science'': Best of What's New 2005 Award.Top award for fuel cell bike
''Platinum Today''. 28 November 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2006 –

Technology Pioneer.World Economic Forum Announces 36 Technology Pioneers for 2006
''Green Car Congress''. 5 December 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2013. * 2007 – Good Design Award, Transportation category.
. ''Good Design Awards''. 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2008 – Rushlight Award, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells category.Roll of Honour
''Rushlight Awards''. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2009 – European Business Awards “Ruban d’Honneur”.
''Mobile Security Zone''. 27 November 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2010 – Rushlight Award, Powered Transport category.Rushlight Awards 2010
. ''Cleantech Investor''. January 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2010 – ''The Engineer'' Technology and Innovation Energy Award. * 2010 – Tech Tour Award.European Tech Tour Names UK and Ireland`s Most Promising High Growth Technology Companies; Selected Companies Stand to Benefit from $10 Billion in Investment Capital
''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was est ...

''. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2011 – Sunday Times Tech Track 100.Tech Track Ranking
. ''Fast Track''. 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2012 – Sunday Times Tech Track 100.Tech Track Ranking
. ''Fast Track''. 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2013 – ''

Leicester Mercury The ''Leicester Mercury'' is a British regional newspaper for the city of Leicester and the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The paper began in the 19th century as the ''Leicester Daily Mercury'' and later changed to its ...

'' Business Awards winner of Company of the Year.Intelligent Energy, of Loughborough, named Leicester Mercury Company of the Year
''Leicester Mercury''. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013. * 2013 – Sunday Times Tech Track 100.
. ''Fast Track''. 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2016. * 2013 –

Deloitte Technology Fast 500 The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Awards are run and moderated by international professional services group Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. They recognize the 500 fastest-growing technology companies in regions around the world. Winners include ...

EMEA 2013
''Fast 500''. 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2016. * 2014 – UKSPA Anniversary Awards
''UKSPA''. 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2016. * 2015 – Edison Award, Gold
''Edison''. 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016. * 2015 –

BusinessGreen ''Incisive Media'' is a B2B information and events business. It is based in London, United Kingdom. History Incisive Media is a business-to-business (B2B) information and events company founded by Tim Weller, in 1994 with the launch of ''Inves ...

Technology Awards, Breakthrough of the Year and Technology of the Year
''BusinessGreen''. 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016. * 2022 – Leicestershire Innovation Awards, 'Innovation in Technology' winner 2022
''Leicestershire Innovation''. 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Fuel cell manufacturers Electric power companies of England Energy