Hydrogen vehicles receive huge boost with new plans for refuelling stations around the UK
The Government plans to unveil new hydrogen measures next year
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A UK council is leading the charge for the development of hydrogen infrastructure for vehicles as transport experts look at new ways to decarbonise.
Shropshire Council has unveiled new partnerships in a bid to boost the use of hydrogen for road vehicles, with progress already underway.
The Council aims to form a consortium to develop a “small-scale” hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling plant in the county.
It has hosted a workshop with key stakeholders including academics and industry experts to share information on how such infrastructure could work.
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Shrewsbury has been picked as a potential suitable location given how near it is to the A5 international transport corridor.
It had previously been identified as one of the top 10 best sites for a hydrogen refuelling facility.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, praised the council’s move to support the hydrogen industry.
He said: “Shropshire Council is very much looking to the future and exploring a number of innovative projects to help manage its own carbon footprint and influence carbon reduction countywide.
“I am delighted we are working with key-stakeholders to pull together a broad range of expertise and knowledge with a view to forming a consortium capable of delivering a small-scale hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling plant for Shropshire.
“By working in partnership we can draw on a range of skill sets and will be able to access different funding streams to allow progress on this project.”
The UK Government’s updated hydrogen strategy found that the fuel source could play a “vital role” in decarbonising heavier transport applications.
In the updated strategy, the Department for Transport confirmed that it would publish the Low Carbon Fuels Strategy later this year to support investment in the sector.
It also intends to publish a Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure Strategy in early 2024 which will outline the roles and responsibilities of Government and industry.
Dr Sharon George, principal investigator for the HyDEX programme, spoke on the partnership with Shropshire Council and the progress being made.
She added: “I am very pleased that HyDEX is able to help Shropshire Council with their hydrogen initiatives.
“The HyDEX programme is all about bringing together our academic specialists with partners in business and the public sector to share expertise and exchange knowledge and ideas.”
The key stakeholders involved in the meeting included construction giant Kier, green hydrogen company Protium, energy service Veolia and Midlands Connect.
The Government awarded winning projects from the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s collaborative research and development competition with £77million in funding.
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Ian Nellins refuelling the hydrogen-powered vehicle in Tyseley
SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL
Five of the seven winning projects will use hydrogen technologies, including to develop zero-emission emergency service vehicles.