Tees Valley Secures £7 Million for Hydrogen-Powered Transport Hub
The UK Government has announced £7 million in funding for hydrogen projects that will focus on growing the economy and supporting skilled jobs in the North East. How will this help to decarbonise our supermarkets?
It has been awarded to fuel distributor Exolum to build a publicly accessible green hydrogen refuelling station near Middlesbrough. It will initially serve at least 25 new zero emission heavy goods vehicles making deliveries.
This will mean thousands of goods being sustainably delivered in the area, from supermarket groceries to new clothes.
Tees Valley is aiming to lead the way for the rollout of green hydrogen
The government-funded Tees Valley hydrogen transport hub is the first of its kind in the country, showing how green hydrogen can be utilised in transport.
This move will not only improve air quality for residents in the Tees Valley region but support hundreds of skilled UK jobs and upskilling opportunities for workers.
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, explained that this funding will be key in driving forward the hydrogen economy: “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 three winning projects will not only support jobs and economic growth in the Tees Valley but will also help decarbonise our transport network.
To further support the sector, Tees Valley Combined Authority will use £300,000 of government funding to run a competition for Tees Valley colleges and training institutions to purchase hydrogen equipment to upskill the local workforce.
The funding will help to amplify local skills
Today’s funding follows the announcement of the first two winning projects, one led by Element 2, which will develop hydrogen-powered airport ground-based support vehicles and create new hydrogen refuelling stations.
Together, the three winning projects will innovate hydrogen-powered transport in the Tees Valley, creating jobs and apprenticeships.
The hydrogen transport hub is already creating significant levels of industry interest, with several developers having announced their intentions to build large-scale green hydrogen production in the area, with demand from transport a key factor.
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, expressed that the potential for hydrogen in the region is huge: “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 for 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.”
Continuing, the Mayor added: “As more of these major projects are confirmed, it’s also essential that we develop skills in our workforce, so this funding is vital to ensure local people can take advantage of the well-paid jobs this new technology is bringing.”
Today’s third winner being announced completes the second round of the government competition funding for the Tees Valley hydrogen transport hub.
The first round awarded over £2.6 million to deploy 21 hydrogen-powered vehicles. The second competition invited ideas on how to overcome some of the challenges of scaling up hydrogen technology, making the region’s supply chain greener with hydrogen-fuelled vans and HGVs.
Government investment in the Tees Valley Transport Hub will position the region at the forefront of the hydrogen transport sector, bringing skills, jobs, exports, and growth.
It will also provide evidence and experience to support future policy, strategy, and investment decisions over the coming years.
