Teesside Airport is to become home to a new permanent hydrogen refuelling station after successfully bidding for Government funding for the project.
The airport previously became home to a temporary refuelling station and secured low-emission hydrogen fuelled vehicles – including cars, truck, forklift, van and tug – as part of the region’s Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub trial in 2021.
Now, after being successful in the Government’s latest £8million Hydrogen Transport Hub Demonstration, it will see a permanent hydrogen refuelling station based at its site.
Element 2, which established the previous station at the airport, will set up another temporary refuelling station during 2024 and then a new permanent station in late 2024 to early 2025.
As well as being used by the vehicles currently located at the airport, it will also provide fuel for hydrogen vehicles being trialled by local commercial fleets and authorities.
IVe, which is delivering the next generation of sustainable light goods vehicles, is part of the project and will be trialling hydrogen vans at the site.
A second project, led by ULEMCo which also received a share of funding, will develop hydrogen powered airport ground-based support vehicles, such as tow trucks for airplanes and sweepers to clean runways.
Tim Harper, CEO of Element 2 said “We are excited to have received funding to build a hydrogen refuelling hub at Teesside International Airport to fuel both road and airport demand.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to show how hydrogen can play a major role in the decarbonisation of road transport and airport operations.”
Funding for the project comes from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.
