The government has announced today that £7 million funding is being made available for hydrogen projects in the Teesside area.
Fuel distributor Exolum has been awarded the funding to build a publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station near Middlesbrough. The refuelling hub will initially serve at least 25 new zero emissions HGVs as they make green deliveries across the region.
This hub will be the first of its kind in the country, and is being built with the goal of demonstrating the benefits of hydrogen fuel cells. This refuelling station will also provide skilled jobs to the region, and will contribute to improving local air quality.
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. These 3 winning projects will not only support jobs and economic growth in the Tees Valley but will also help decarbonise our transport network.”
Exolum are the third benefactor of government funding for hydrogen projects, following ULEMCo and Element 2, which will develop hydrogen-powered airport ground-based support vehicles and create new hydrogen refuelling stations. All three projects are expected to bring jobs and innovation to the Tees Valley, making it a leader in green hydrogen technology.
The new hydrogen refuelling hub has already seen interest from other businesses in the area, as developers have already announced they intend to build large-scale hydrogen production facilities to take advantage of the new site.
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said, “Our area is leading the way in developing the cleaner, healthier and safer transport of the future. This is another great example of how we are creating innovative solutions, such as greener deliveries to our supermarkets. As the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub, we are in a fantastic position to take advantage of projects such as this, which will deliver further jobs and investment needed to drive our local economy forward.”
Local businesses will be watching the developments closely, as the new hydrogen technology could benefit the entire region, and see a larger switch to hydrogen fuel if these developments are a success.
