Cairn Lodge Services has opened an EV charging facility powered by hydrogen, at its site on the M74 in Lanarkshire.
The business partnered with GeoPura to connect its hydrogen power unit (HPU), fuelled by green hydrogen, to six ultra-rapid Westmorland EV Chargers, provided by Swarco Smart Charging.
This means the facility will be powered by green hydrogen until a suitable electrical grid connection is established.
The GeoPura HPU supplements the current grid supply and provides suitable electricity for EV charging at the service station.
This marks the first-of-its-kind deployment of a hydrogen-powered generator connected to EV chargers at a UK service station.
Nabil Subuh, CEO of Westmorland Family, parent company of Cairn Lodge Services, said, “As EV adoption soars, the pressure on the electrical grid has become increasingly evident, leaving businesses like Westmorland to look for creative, sustainable alternatives until there is sufficient grid capacity.
“We want to be at the forefront of this sustainable and eco-friendly EV charging revolution, providing a convenient, green charging to our customers.
“To the customer, the charging experience is no different to a grid connected charger, and by utilising this new technology we can provide much needed EV charging facilities sooner, meeting the growing demand without having a negative impact on the environment.”
Anne Buckingham Managing Director Swarco Smart Charging says securing power from the grid has become an ongoing issue for businesses committed to decarbonising transport.
She added, “The introduction of hydrogen power is a novel solution to accelerating the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure until the distribution of electricity can catch up with the demand from new EV charging sites.”
