United Kingdom may become hydrogen fuel cell vehicles ‘world leader’
March 23, 2022A growing number of H2 powered cars, trucks, buses, planes and trains are making their way into the UK.
The United Kingdom is becoming one of the top locations in which hydrogen fuel cell cars are being deployed, and some expect the UK to become a “market leader” in the use of the technology.
This has been underscored as companies gain access to new options for revolutionizing their fleets.
First Hydrogen is among the companies seeking to move the UK’s adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles forward. Its H2 powered van will start its demonstrator testing in June. After that, it is hoping to begin delivery of the first of the commercial vans before the close of 2022. H2 is rapidly becoming a top zero-emission energy source worldwide. In the UK, many regions are creating decarbonization strategy based on both battery electric and the hydrogen car. The goal is to reach the net zero-carbon target of 2050 on time or ahead of time.
The British government announced in August 2021 that it was launching a “world-leading” hydrogen economy plan. That strategy was meant to support more than 9,000 jobs and would result in £4 billion (USD $5.28 billion) by 2030.
The company believes that the widespread adoption of hydrogen cars will begin this year.
According to First Hydrogen CEO of Automation Steve Gill, the H2 sector in the United Kingdom is already well underway, and vehicles such as those from his company will start being adopted in greater numbers this year.
“I think the Government is doing certain things,” said Gill as quoted in an Express.co.uk report. “They’re looking to have five gigawatts of low carbon hydrogen by 2030. They’ve put £240million into the Hydrogen Fund.”
“But we would like to see them doing more,” he added, pointing out that “You look at Germany, €11billion, France €7billion, the US, all very large sums, so we would like the Government to support that to a greater degree as they have, rightly so, for EVs.”
According to Gill, the adoption of zero-emission vehicles is “a mixed growth area”, and substantial expansion is already underway in green H2, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, infrastructure, and battery electrics. He underscored the number of major players already involved in H2 and related infrastructure, including Shell, BP , and Ineos, among others.
First Hydrogen Van – *Image Credit: https://firsthydrogen.com/first-hydrogens-green-hydrogen-van-to-begin-demonstrator-testing-in-june/
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There will be Hydrogen Fuel Cell EV Charging where the local grid power capacity is restricted or does not exist, or where it is too costly (e.g new Substation required or miles of high power cabling).
Fuel can be supplied as Green (or other) Hydrogen (including cheaper lower grade Hydrogen), Ammonia (which is cracked on site), or Methanol (which is reformed on site). Take a look a the company working on this with partner ABB.
afcenergy.com/abb/
Is the government behind Hydrogen. Have writteh several times to our local MP, no response asking her her thoughts about the many finished quarries in our area that could be set up as green hydrogen sites from solar cells. From what you have said doesn’t sound like it is. The winds at the high altitudes are also strong more wind power as well, We need our local garage to either start supplying or even producing hydrogen. Thousands of houses here don’t have drives and garages, how will batteries ever work stop, wasting money on that infrastructure spend it on hydrogen development.
Well said David Brown,especially your point re producing H2 locally,as a farmer I think we could play an important role here making H2 for our own use and for local people if they wish.The whole emphasis seems to be on Government and large business being the way forward here but I believe small scale local production could be significant contributors.
What would you suggest for a company, that would be interested in becoming involved in the Hydrogen industry, at a low level to start?
Hybrid Locomotive Powered from Hydrogen Fuel Cells for electric locomotives including Slip/Slide control and predictive wheel diameter compensation of each wheel powered by DTC inverters using permanent magnet AC traction motors
A development to assist Climate Change
Proposed PhD thesis by Bernard Schaffler. BSc Eng. MSc Eng. FIEAust. CPEng. MIEEE
This claim that “United Kingdom may become hydrogen fuel cell vehicles ‘world leader’ ” is just a prediction for the UK which presently lags far behind Europe, having very few cars or heavy vehicles and no train services powered by hydrogen, simply because of a lack of hydrogen dispensing infrastructure, and the handful of them are often out of order. Hydrogen powered trains, buses and HGVs have been running in many European countries for several years now and hydrogen filling stations are operational around many European roads. Is this another example of UK’s great aspirations and no action?