Hydrogen fuel station serves Enterprise cars as part of £2.5m trial

A hydrogen refuelling station has opened at Teesside International Airport as part of a £2.5 million region-wide trial, with cars provided by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

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

Element 2 has set up the station to provide fuel for 10 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, fitted with car club telematics.

The hydrogen-powered cars join 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.

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.”

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.

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

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The trial of these vehicles and refuelling station is just one of many ground-breaking hydrogen initiatives taking part across Teesside, Hartlepool and Darlington right now, to understand its potential and pave the way for the cleaner, safer and healthier industries of the future.

“It sits alongside projects by the likes of bp and Kellas Midstream in both blue and green hydrogen production and Northern Gas Networks’ testing of hydrogen as alternative to natural gas for home heating and cooking.

“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.”

In September 2020, it was announced that Tees Valley would be home to the UK’s first Hydrogen Transport Hub.

The hub, in partnership with Teesside University, will form a 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.

Brendan Bilton, Element 2’s chief technology officer, said: “For every 1kg of hydrogen fuel used, 3.7 litres of Diesel and 10kg of CO2 emissions is offset.

“The Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub will play a vital part in decarbonising the North East, local residents and workers will benefit from cleaner air and the hub will create more skilled jobs in the region.

“We want to encourage fleet owners and operators to take advantage of this opportunity. Together, we can make diesel history.”