Dearman, the clean cold and power company, was today (14 September) joined by the Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson, at the official opening of its ground-breaking Clean Cold and Power Technology Centre.

The new facility is home to Dearman’s extensive research and development activities, which are focused on the delivery of a range of zero-emission cold and power technologies.

The company is working on diverse applications of its technology for use in transportation, the built environment and logistics. All of these applications use the Dearman engine, a novel piston engine that is powered by the expansion of liquid air to provide clean cooling and power.

The Minister and senior Dearman executives were joined by representatives of industry and academia for a tour of the new facility which includes: state-of-the-art engine test facilities; engine build and component machining facilities: and space for Dearman’s growing number of engineers, designers and analysts. The facility in Croydon, Greater London, also features all of the cryogenic infrastructure needed to run a series of liquid air cold and power systems.

Jo Johnson, said: “From an invention designed and built in the lab to this impressive technology centre, Dearman is one of the great success stories that gives the UK its reputation for driving innovation. I want to continue to make the UK the best place in Europe to innovate and grow a business and this new facility is a strong sign of the progress we are making to achieve this goal.”

Toby Peters, Dearman chief executive, said: “Today is a momentous occasion for Dearman. Not just because it marks the opening of this ground-breaking research facility, which will be at the heart of Dearman innovation for years to come. But because it highlights the progress we have made, as a team, in such a short period of time.”

The Dearman Clean Cold and Power Technology Centre is home to more than 40 people, the majority of whom are engineers and technicians. That number will grow in the years to come as Dearman plans to extend its activities, expand its range of applications and begin after-sales and support services.

The first application of Dearman technology is a zero-emission transport refrigeration system, which will begin commercial field trials later this year, before extensive international trials begin in 2016. Subsequent Dearman applications will include a clean power and cooling system for buildings, an auxiliary power unit for buses and HGVs, and a liquid air heat hybrid system for trucks and buses.