Element 2 and Anglian Water team up to provide hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles

Hydrogen infratructure firm Element 2 has signed a partnership deal to buy hydrogen produced by Anglian Water and supply it to hydrogen vehicles.

The hydrogen will be produced as part of the Triple Carbon Reduction Project - delivered via a partnership funded through Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge.

The project aims to reduce carbon emissions during the water recycling process. The integrated electrolyser system is being introduced as part of the water pre-treatment process to generate green hydrogen and oxygen.

It’s anticipated that up to 91kg of fuel cell grade hydrogen, suitable for use with hydrogen vehicles, will be generated each day at the plant in Cambridge, when operating at 100% runtime from July 2023.

Element 2 will provide storage for the hydrogen produced at Anglian Water’s Cambridgeshire site and transport it to its network of hydrogen refuelling stations around the UK.

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From there, the hydrogen will be used to fuel Element 2’s customer base of hydrogen fleet owners and operators, as well as to support hydrogen engine development and for trials of new fuel cell vehicles arriving on UK roads. Vehicles that will benefit from the hydrogen include trucks, vans and buses.

Brendan Bilton, chief technology officer at Element 2, said: “This partnership is a significant milestone for the production of hydrogen using water in the UK and will help accelerate the decarbonisation of trucks and commercial vehicles on the roads.

"We work with a range of local suppliers in the UK’s hydrogen sector, ensuring we champion the circular economy with partnerships like the Anglian Water hydrogen production project, and establishing flexible supply chains as we build the UK’s network of hydrogen refuelling stations and solutions.”

Giulia Pizzagalli, Anglian Water innovation projects manager, said: “We are excited to work with Element 2 to ensure the safe and efficient removal of hydrogen from our demonstration plant in such a novel way.

"Using a process by-product to aid the decarbonisation of vehicles has real synergy with the objectives of the Triple Carbon Reduction project to reduce the emissions generated through the water treatment process.”