The Government is funding a public hydrogen refuelling station for the north-east of England to support a fleet of fuel-cell HGVs.
Fuel distributer Exolum will build the new hydrogen filling station near Middlesbrough at the intersection of the A19 and A66.
It will initially serve about 25 new, zero-emission HGVs making deliveries from supermarket groceries to new clothes, and be capable of dispensing up to 1.5 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
As part of the £7m project, the Tees Valley Hydrogen Vehicle Ecosystem (HYVE) Consortium, which will deploy the hydrogen-powered electric trucks, will receive £2.1m.
Also, HGV leasing partner in the consortium, Novuna Vehicle Solutions, will work with German manufacturer Quantron AG, to build, fund and manage the in-life maintenance of more than 20 fuel cell electric HGVs ranging from 4.2 to 27 tonnes.
Jon Lawes, managing director of Novuna Vehicle Solutions, said, “This project is crucial to removing barriers and addressing the needs of operators at every stage of the ecosystem, in turn realising the commercial viability of hydrogen, at scale, and transforming the heavy transport sector which has been left behind in the road to net zero fleets.
“With our experience and unique capability to build, fund and manage the in-life maintenance across all vehicle types, including HGVs, we’re looking forward to collaborating with other selected participants to create a cleaner transport sector and ultimately unlock the vast potential of fuel cell hydrogen vehicles.”
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Anthony Browne said, “It’s fantastic to see the Tees Valley continue to be a trailblazer in this vital technology to decarbonise heavier vehicles – leading the way for the wider rollout of green hydrogen.”
