West Berkshire engineers help fuel UK's first hydrogen freight corridor
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Fuel Cell Systems will provide hydrogen refuelling for zero-emission
commercial vehicles along M4
West Berkshire hydrogen engineering company, Fuel Cell Systems Ltd (FCSL), has been appointed the official hydrogen refuelling infrastructure partner for the UK’s first hydrogen freight corridor – ‘HyHAUL’ – comprising key refuelling stations along the M4, including Reading and Avonmouth.
The project is the UK’s flagship hydrogen-powered heavy goods vehicle (HGV) initiative, and it will use HyFleet hydrogen refuelling systems that are designed in West Berkshire and built in the UK. The refuelling systems will provide on-site storage, compression, and dispensing capabilities that help to decarbonise heavy-duty logistics by providing hydrogen fuel as a clean alternative to traditional fossil fuels. It is estimated that the project will save 1,900 tonnes of carbon emissions annually when completed.
“This project is about turning hydrogen freight from theory into practice and showing how local businesses can set a blueprint for national net zero success. There’s every reason West Berkshire should be seen as a clean tech innovation hub, and as projects like this multiply, we expect them to have a significant economic impact while creating new green jobs,” said Dr Lee Juby, CEO of Fuel Cell Systems Ltd.
“Designed by our team of local engineers, our HyFleet system for HGVs builds on the success of our smaller, modular units that have been deployed across the UK and Europe since 2019 for vehicle trials and small fleet use. It is tried and tested technology, and we’re proud to be starting this first-of-its-kind project so close to home, and alongside HyHAUL Mobility.”
HyHAUL is funded by the UK Government through the £200 million Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme. It aims to deploy 30 hydrogen-powered HGVs by 2026, with a long-term goal of expanding to 300 vehicles by 2030.
Jon Perry, Senior Commercial Manager of HyHAUL Mobility Ltd., commented, “We’re excited to be working with Fuel Cell Systems Ltd to help shape the future of hydrogen refuelling in the UK. The deployment of HyFleet systems along the M4 is a key step in building the infrastructure needed to support zero-emission freight.
“HyHAUL is about proving that hydrogen logistics can work at scale. With the right partners and technology in place, we’re creating a practical and reliable hydrogen freight corridor that will help the industry move toward net zero.”
The HyHAUL project reinforces Fuel Cell Systems Ltd’s leadership in hydrogen refuelling technology, now delivering full static stations as well as the modular, re-deployable systems it has been known for across the UK and Europe for over 19-years.
To find out more about the HyFleet and the HyHAUL project visit: www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk/hyhaul-hydrogen-corridor
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Editors notes
About hydrogen vehicles:
- Hydrogen vehicles are powered by electricity they produce internally through chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen.
- The only tailpipe emissions are water since the by-products of the chemical reaction which powers the hydrogen fuel cell are just heat and water.
- The electricity generated either powers the vehicle directly, or charges a battery which stores the energy until it’s needed. This traction battery is significantly smaller and lighter than the battery of a fully electric vehicle.
- The hydrogen fuel is stored in a high-pressure tank and can be refilled in much the same way as petrol and diesel, provides longer range and requires less battery space and weight than an equivalent battery electric vehicle.
About Fuel Cell Systems
Fuel Cell Systems Ltd (FCSL) is a UK based hydrogen engineering company specialising in hydrogen refuelling solutions. Its parent company, Hydrasun, is part of the D2Zero group of companies, meeting the dual challenge of decarbonising traditional energy sources, whilst accelerating the transition to renewable energy. FCSL has deployed numerous HyQube modular refuellers on behalf of companies including Toyota, BMW, Exeter and Bristol Airports, Oxfordshire County Council and Keele University, and dispensed hydrogen fuel for cars, vans, trucks, trains, planes, buses and forklifts, prior to the development of the new, larger scale HyFleet system.
www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk
About HyHAUL
The Hydrogen Aggregated UK Logistics (HyHAUL) project aims to help kickstart the decarbonisation of the UK’s heavy goods vehicle (HGV) fleet. This first of its kind initiative targets the UK’s heaviest, most polluting HGVs, delivering zero emissions HGVs weighing up to 44 tonnes. The project was awarded more than £32m from the Department for Transport and Innovate UK as part of the UK Government’s zero emissions HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator Programme. The haulage sector currently accounts for 19% of domestic transport emissions across the UK and rapid demonstration of viable alternatives to diesel-fuelled vehicles is vital to accelerating decarbonisation of this hard to abate sector.
