Partnership plan to explore hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling plant

Ian Nellins refuelling a hydrogen-powered vehicle in Tyseley. Photo: Shropshire Council

The council is hosting a workshop with key stakeholders including academics and commercial experts to share knowledge and understanding of how a demonstrator unit could be developed in the county.

The hydrogen produced would then fuel commercial vehicles such as lorries and buses, helping to dramatically reduce emissions from such vehicles.

Shrewsbury, because of its location next to the A5 international transport corridor, has previously been identified as one of the region’s top 10 sites for hydrogen refuelling facilities.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said:

“Shropshire Council is very much looking to the future and exploring a number of innovative projects to help manage its own carbon footprint and influence carbon reduction countywide.

“I am delighted we are working with key-stakeholders to pull together a broad range of expertise and knowledge with a view to forming a consortium capable of delivering a small-scale hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling plant for Shropshire.

“By working in partnership we can draw on a range of skill sets and will be able to access different funding streams to allow progress on this project.”

The Shropshire team has previously visited one of the region’s first such facilities at Tyseley in Birmingham to learn more.

Key stakeholders such as HyDEX, Kier, Protium, Veolia and Midlands Connect will be participating in the workshop.

Dr Sharon George, principal investigator for the HyDEX programme, said:

“I am very pleased that HyDEX is able to help Shropshire Council with their hydrogen initiatives. The HyDEX programme is all about bringing together our academic specialists with partners in business and the public sector to share expertise and exchange knowledge and ideas.”