Hydrogen technology specialist Logan Energy has been chosen as the partner to supply two publicly-accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in Teesside, in a £2.25m project.
The initial four-year contract is part of a 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, a joint proposal from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, the Materials Processing Institute, and Northern Gas Networks successfully bid £1.3m 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 £7bn to the region by 2050, with the creation of as many as 1,000 jobs.
Bill Ireland, CEO of Logan Energy, said: “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 for vehicles in Scotland’s Central Belt. At this time, it offered the only publicly accessible refuelling stop between Aberdeen and Sheffield.
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