A hydrogen refuelling station has opened at Teesside International Airport to serve hydrogen-powered vehicles based in the Tees Valley under a £2.5m trial.

The hydrogen refuelling station at Teesside International Airport will serve hydrogen-powered vehicles based in the Tees Valley under a £2.5m trial

As part of the Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub, the airport, along with other key organisations, is testing out 100% zero-emission hydrogen-fuelled commercial and support vehicles.

To support the work, Element 2 has implemented the refuelling station to provide fuel for 10 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, supplied by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and fitted with car club telematics. This is alongside a forklift that has recently arrived at the site, with a Renault Kangoo hydrogen-powered light van and a hydrogen tug due to arrive by May.

Through Enterprise, Toyota is deploying a number of hydrogen vehicles across the region’s rapid response services, such as emergency response units for the Cleveland Police and NHS patient support, which can also take advantage of the new refuelling infrastructure. Northern Gas Networks, which is testing hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas in households in the region, also relies on a hydrogen vehicle.

Iain Macbeth, Enterprise’s director of electric vehicle strategy, said: “Taking on hydrogen vehicles puts Teesside at the very cutting edge of decarbonising travel. Low- and zero-emission rental and car clubs provide a good solution for businesses to try out new types of alternative-fuelled vehicle without having to buy one. We have several hydrogen cars on trial with corporate customers to support their alternative fuel strategies.

“These vehicles are part of our aim of offering more choice to customers looking for low- and zero-emission transport options.”

Prior to the arrival of the new refuelling station at Teesside Airport, the nearest place hydrogen vehicles could refuel was nearly 100 miles away in Rotherham.

The new station follows the launch of the Hydrogen Transport Hub, announced in September 2020. The hub, in partnership with Teesside University, will form an innovation campus focused on clean energy research and development. It will lead research, development, and testing of new hydrogen transport technologies including for cars, buses, trains, lorries, boats and planes.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “By proving these vehicles are efficient, easy to use and safe in a wide range of applications, we’re putting our region at the forefront of the hydrogen revolution – while showing that our airport is much more than flights to Alicante.”

James Clarke, Toyota GB spokesperson said: “The provision of our Mirai hydrogen fuel cell cars to the Teesside Hydrogen Transport Hub is another step in the journey towards a hydrogen society. It’s great that they will be put to good use by support services, joining a growing range of industries and organisations that are already benefiting from zero-emission vehicles, and that can be speedily re-fuelled in just three minutes, with a driving range of approximately 300 miles.”