Hydrogen refuelling station operator Element 2 has appointed French specialist firm HRS to supply and install a hydrogen station at Teeside International Airport, as part of its wider plans to roll out a national hydrogen refueling station network in the UK and Ireland.

Element 2’s hydrogen refuelling network aims to meet expected growing demand in the UK from commercial fleet operators.

As part of the deal HRS will supply a next-generation HRS14 station with a capacity of 14kg/hour, to be installed at Teesside International Airport in Darlington.

The bi-pressure station, supported by a grant from Innovate UK, will provide green hydrogen to refuel a range of long-term trials of commercial vans, passenger cars and airside support vehicles.

This will be the third HRS station in the UK, with two stations already supplied for logistical use.

The UK government has a strategy to install 10GW of hydrogen production by 2030, along with a broad refueling station network.

Element 2 said this first collaboration paves the way for future joint developments aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of transport in the UK.

Tim Harper, Element 2 founder and chief executive, said: “Element 2 is building the first national scaled network of reliable, safe, high-quality hydrogen refuelling stations and distribution infrastructure across the UK, and HRS’s next generation station will help us deliver on this.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with HRS at Tessside International Airport, with our order of the first HRS station in the UK, and we look forward to working in partnership with HRS to accelerate the decarbonisation of the transportation sector in the UK, where we are already seeing strong demand.”

Hassen Rachedi, HRS founder and chief executive, added: “This first order from a major UK player marks a crucial step in our European development.

”We are proud to collaborate with Element 2 to develop a large-scale hydrogen refueling network to meet the growing needs of commercial fleet operators and private individuals in the UK.

“Together, we are combining our expertise to enable the rapid transition of heavy-duty vehicles and captive fleets towards a carbon-free and emission-free future .”

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