North East to benefit from new funding for hydrogen transport

• New Government-backed transport projects to fuel supermarket delivery trucks and airport vehicles with hydrogen
• The North East will be at the forefront of developing hydrogen tech, with over an £8 million investment into the Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub
• Second round of funding set to grow the economy, develop skills and create jobs

Airports and supermarket deliveries could become greener and more efficient, thanks to a £8 million Government competition to support hydrogen-powered transport in the North East.

The Transport Secretary has today (2 August) announced two winning projects of the second phase of the competition, encouraging more businesses and innovators to develop new technology that uses hydrogen fuel to accelerate transport decarbonisation.

One project led by ULEMCo, receiving a share of the £8 million funding, will develop hydrogen-powered airport ground-based support vehicles, such as tow trucks for airplanes and sweepers to clean runways. This will be based at Teesside International Airport, helping Teesside International Airport reach its goal of being net zero by 2030.

Another of the winning projects, led by Element 2, aims to create new hydrogen refuelling stations, helping to provide the infrastructure needed to scale-up the use of hydrogen as a fuel. This funding will create four new publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations, increasing by 50% the total number of refuelling stations in the UK. These will be used to fuel a range of vehicles, from airside vehicles to HGVs, including supermarket delivery trucks.

Today’s announcement also confirms £300,000 delivered directly to colleges in the area, to support upskilling the local workforce and foster a specialised skills base and pipeline of talent, further cementing the Tees Valley’s status as the home of hydrogen, claims the government.

Says Transport Secretary Mark Harper: 

“Hydrogen technology has great potential to decarbonise transport and help grow the economy.

“Today’s winners illustrate the expertise the Tees Valley has as a pioneer in developing hydrogen tech. This investment will provide a further boost to the economy, creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the North East.”

Adds Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero, Mike Biddle: 

“Today’s announcement of these new projects in the Tees Valley further adds to our significant partnership with DfT to accelerate new technologies to decarbonise transport. This includes nearly £300 million of investment from DfT via Innovate UK in transport decarbonisation across maritime, heavy goods vehicles and hydrogen. 

“Place-based innovation like this is vital to invigorate local economies like the Tees Valley. These projects are an important investment to decarbonise transport and a boost for local innovation, investment, skills and business growth.”