Utility firm SSE has taken delivery of First Hydrogen’s hydrogen-fuel-cell powered vehicle (FCEV) at its operational site in Aberdeen, from where it will undertake real-world trials.

Hydrogen-powered vehicle manufacturer First Hydrogen said the trial area features some of the UK's best hydrogen infrastructure which will enable SSE test its refuelling, which the company says takesno more than five to seven minutes.

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

During the trial, data will be collected from onboard instruments analysing fuel consumption, usage and efficiency, and helping to assess the vehicle’s total cost of ownership.

SSE is the first utility to trial the Company's FCEV, with the trial coordinated through the Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium (AHFC).

The AHFC works with large UK fleet operators to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen transport through vehicle deployment and refuelling infrastructure development.

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The trials will see 16 major fleet operators who have expressed interest in trialling First Hydrogen's vehicle, including grocery, utilities, parcel delivery and healthcare companies.

Steve Gill, First Hydrogen chief executive of automotive, said: “We're delighted to be working with energy giant SSE, which is already making great strides in switching to clean energy and decarbonizing its operations.

“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."

Ronnie Fleming, SSE chief procurement officer  said: "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."

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