Dearman, the clean cold technology company, has announced that full testing of its cutting-edge zero-emission engine technology has begun at its new liquid air R&D facility.

The Dearman Technology Centre, located near Croydon, is the first dedicated liquid air engine facility of its kind. It houses a range of custom-built test cells, in which Dearman’s ground-breaking technologies will undergo extended durability testing and new applications will be developed.

The Dearman Technology Centre will become a hub of liquid air engine design, engineering, test and development. When fully operational it will enable the testing of four engines simultaneously, along with full system testing, supported by low-volume manufacturing and build capabilities.

Commenting on the new facility, Dearman’s Deputy Chief Executive, Michael Ayres, said:  “The Dearman Technology Centre is a huge step forward for the company, and for the development of cutting-edge clean cold technologies. Having a bespoke facility means that we can accelerate our rate of development and testing, enabling us to bring zero-emission cold and power technologies to market even quicker.

“The team is hard at work running durability testing on the Dearman engine powered zero-emission transport refrigeration unit. The technology is performing well – its power output is very good and it is still proving to be highly efficient.”

Regarding other applications of the Dearman engine, he added: “With four test cells and a dedicated workshop, we are able to work on several projects in parallel. We have been at the Dearman Technology Centre for only a few short weeks, but already we are placed to commence work work on the high-efficiency auxiliary power unit for use on buses and heavy-duty vehicles next week.”

Dearman’s zero-emission transport refrigeration system is currently in extended on-vehicle testing at MIRA, and will be commencing commercial on-road trials later this year.

The company has recently been awarded funding from Innovate UK to develop its auxiliary power unit, and work on customising the transport refrigeration system for different vehicle types - activity that will be focused in the new Dearman Technology Centre.