Hydrogen technology specialist, Logan Energy, has been chosen as the preferred partner to supply two of the first publicly-accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in Teesside, in a £2.25 million project that will allow cars and vans to be powered by the superfuel.
In a company-first, Edinburgh-based Logan Energy will supply fuel-cell quality hydrogen for vehicles in addition to delivering and operating two new Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) designed to meet increasing local demand.
The initial four-year contract is part of an ambitious UK Government project, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles’ (OLEV) Hydrogen for Transport Fund, which aims to deliver five new hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK.
Of the five refuelling stations funded by OLEV, a joint proposal from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, the Materials Processing Institute, and Northern Gas Networks successfully bid £1.3 million to have two located across Teesside. One of these will be located at the Materials Processing Institute site in Middlesbrough.
In an area that is responsible for more than half of the UK’s hydrogen production, the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority are seeking to catalyse the roll-out of zero emission vehicles and associated infrastructure, which will help the region move towards its decarbonisation goals. It is estimated that the hydrogen industry could regenerate the Teesside economy by contributing as much as £7 billion to the region by 2050, with the creation of as many as 1000 jobs.
Chosen for their impressive track-record and expertise in delivering integrated hydrogen technologies, Logan Energy hopes to extend this work further as both the network of HRS and number of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles increases across the Tees Valley and the UK.
The company has successfully supported the development and deployment of zero emission technologies throughout the UK and Europe, most notably in Northern Ireland where it is now responsible for the entire hydrogen production, distribution, and refuelling process for the Belfast Bus Project, and in Tenerife where one of its HRS will be producing green hydrogen from seawater to power the local transport on the island.
Bill Ireland, CEO of Logan Energy, said: “This initiative provides an opportunity for Logan Energy to leverage its industry experience and deliver its first commercial hydrogen supply and refuelling contract for passenger vehicles.
“Tees Valley has a long and successful relationship with hydrogen energy that is unparalleled across the UK. It is an ideal location to demonstrate a viable, renewable hydrogen supply-and-demand scenario that has the potential to be replicated not just regionally but in towns and cities throughout the UK, Europe and further afield.”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Hydrogen is vital to our clean energy plans across the region and we are now well placed to see the successful delivery of this pioneering technology which will benefit the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
“Working together, we can drive a stronger economy which will put us at the forefront of innovative, clean technologies that will be essential in helping us meet our net zero objectives and create high-quality careers for local people for decades to come.”
Chris McDonald, CEO of the Materials Processing Institute, said: “The hydrogen economy represents a huge opportunity to build on the extensive capabilities and industrial base in the region.
“The success of this bid and its delivery by Logan Energy not only marks a key step towards decarbonising local industry and transport but underlines the potential of the region’s industry, skills and supply chain.”
Earlier in 2020, Logan Energy opened the first public hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) for vehicles in Scotland’s Central Belt. At this time, it offered the only publicly accessible refuelling stop between Aberdeen and Sheffield. Logan Energy hopes that with the installation of these Teesside refuelling stations, it will encourage more people to consider hydrogen vehicles as viable green transport options.
Source: Logan Energy
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