A new £1million Infrastructure Grant Programme (IGP) has been made available to fleets to encourage the installation of recharging points for electric vehicles and facilities to supply alternative transport fuels.

The programme will support fleets in developing facilities for alternative fuels by providing grants for the infrastructure necessary to fuel environmentally friendly vehicles that cut carbon and pollutant emissions. 

The £1m is part of the Government's strategy to decrease carbon emissions from road transport.

The programme is being managed by Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies, on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT).

Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, said: "For fleet operators the cost of installing refuelling or recharging infrastructure has always been a barrier to switching fuel use.

"This programme will encourage operators to accelerate the introduction of lower-carbon technologies into the UK vehicle market, thereby helping cut the UK’s total carbon emissions.”

The key aspects of the IGP are:

  • Application for the grant must be made and accepted by Cenex before the investment in infrastructure commences.
  • Grants will be awarded to applications that fulfil the specified quality criteria.
  • Final grant awards will be determined by an independent panel.
  • The refuelling station must be open for third-party access, and the refuelling site must be based in the UK.
  • Eligible costs for new refuelling and recharging stations will be refuelling/recharging infrastructure hardware costs, cost of labour (excluding project management) and the cost for civil engineering and ground works for the project.
  • Funding from other local, regional, national or European community sources for the same eligible costs is not permitted.

Cenex will be hosting information days in July, August and September 2009 across the UK to discuss what the programme encompasses, how to apply for funding and the quality of projects required from applicants.

More details, including eligibility criteria and grant information are available at www.cenex.co.uk/IGP 
 

The first three information sessions are:

  • Edinburgh (Apex House, Haymarket Terrace), 24 July 10am to 3pm
  • Birmingham (City Hall), 30 July 10am to 4pm
  • Wales (Baglan Energy Park, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan‎), 12 August, 13:00 – 15:00
     
  •  See July 30's Fleet News for a special 10-page technology supplement