As part of a Ministry of Defence plan to operate a zero-emission non-tactical vehicle fleet by 2027, the Army’s Colchester Garrison has begun a two-month trial of electric vehicle charging powered by hydrogen fuel.
The hydrogen power units (HPUs), housed in a shipping container, and the supporting infrastructure are supplied by GeoPura, and can charge multiple EVs at once.
Garrison commander Lt Col Ed Rankin says the trial at Merville Barracks will allow the MoD to “understand the technology’s potential to increase resiliency on our bases and be used on operations at home and overseas”.
Because the HPUs are off grid they could be potentially used to power vehicle charging stations in remote or other hard to supply locations. They are also being tested at the Devonport naval base and RAF Leeming.
Colchester Garrison provides logistical and infrastructure support to 16 Air Assault Brigade, the British Army’s parachute-based global response force.
Late last year, Westmorland’s Cairn Lodge Services, on the M74 in Scotland, became the first on the UK motorway network to install hydrogen powered EV chargers, after partnering with GeoPura and Swarco Smart Charging. A GeoPura HPU supplements the grid supply to provide power for six ultra-rapid EV chargepoints.
