PRIME Minister David Cameron has let it be known that he wants the UK to be at the forefront of the European hydrogen revolution for the vehicles of the future.

And if that happens Swindon will be right at the front of that revolution.

Three years ago the town opened its first hydrogen refuelling facility at the Honda factory at South Marston.

Yesterday there was a massive leap forward when the first commercial facility was opened. The hydrogen which came out of the tap then was manufactured there by solar power and not shipped in by tankers as in the past.

A consortium of leading businesses including BOC and Honda joined Swindon mayor Coun Teresa Page to watch a demonstration of the green hydrogen being produced and then being transferred to hydrogen transport in action.

Honda already has a hydrogen-powered car – the Clarity – which is produced in Japan, but more will be produced in 2016 and both Hyundai and Toyota have similar plans.

Honda was one of just 12 refuelling facilities in the UK and this number will be increased in the next 12 months to 15. But at the moment it is possible to drive along the entire M4 on hydrogen because there are facilities at Reading and Bristol as well as Swindon.

Honda use hydrogen-powered forklift trucks and Swindon Council has five transit vans powered the same way.

While this is still in the early stages in a major step to diversify the range of low emission vehicles available, an £11 million investment has been announced by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) towards the development of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure in the UK. And Honda is ready for expansion when required.

At the moment it manufactures enough hydrogen to power 12 vehicles a day. When more is needed more panels will be brought on line.

Nick Rolf, of BOC, said: “This enhancement in Swindon positions this facility as the best in the class in the UK. No other facility has the capacity to refuel vehicles with the green hydrogen on a commercial scale. This cements Swindon’s position as the key location for fuel cell vehicle introduction.”

Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Matthew Hancock MP, visied Honda, Nissan and Toyota in Japan and announced £400m for the take-up of low emission vehicles and there will be an extra £500m investment between 20015 and 2020.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Investment in hydrogen fuel infrastructure in the UK is an important step for the automotive industry.

“As consumer interest in low emission vehicles increases, the industry is diversifying the range of technologies available, with hydrogen-fuelled vehicles joining pure electric, hybrid, alternatively and conventionally-powered vehicles.”