SSE Plc has become the latest fleet to sign up to trials of First Hydrogen’s fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).

SSE is the first utility to trial the First Hydrogen van and use it in day-to-day operations

The low-carbon energy infrastructure company will be the first utility to trial the hydrogen-powered vehicle – and the first to put it to the test in real-life fleet operations by deploying the vehicle with SSE engineers.

The project will enable First Hydrogen’s team to gather data on fuel consumption, usage, and efficiency. The trials are being used to inform development of First Hydrogen’s Generation II series, currently in development, and will help enhance Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) data.

SSE’s hydrogen LCV will be based at an SSE operational site at Aberdeen, which neighbours a hydrogen fuel station; the Scottish city boasts some of the UK’s best hydrogen infrastructure. FCEVs can be refuelled in around five to seven minutes, delivering a key benefit compared to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which typically take hours to recharge.

SSE joins other fleet operators such as Rivus in trialling the First Hydrogen van. The trials have been co-ordinated through the Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium (AHFC), which works with large UK fleet operators to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen transport through vehicle deployment and refuelling infrastructure development. Around 15 major fleet operators have expressed an interest in trialling First Hydrogen’s vehicle, including companies in the grocery, parcel delivery and healthcare industries, and trials are set to take place over the next 12-18 months.

Steve Gill, CEO Automotive at First Hydrogen, said: “Transitioning to fossil-fuel-free transport is a major step along the road to net zero and we are pleased to help SSE become the first utility company to explore hydrogen vehicle performance alongside other alternative fuels to power its maintenance and utilities vehicles.

“We’re also thrilled to take our vehicle to Aberdeen, where so much work is already underway to champion hydrogen and know that the City Council sees this trial as an important test for promoting commercial FCEVs in the area too.”

SSE operates one of the largest vehicle fleets in the UK and has already pledged to switch 2,500 of its vehicles to electric.

Ronnie Fleming, chief procurement officer at SSE, added: “As part of our commitment to achieving net zero and in addition to our leading EV100 pledge, we are keen to explore all alternative fuels for our fleet. We’re looking forward to seeing the vehicles in action, for our drivers to experience how they operate in practice and for our fleet managers to evaluate how hydrogen vehicles could fit into our future fleets.”