As part of the UK government’s zero emissions HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme, HyHAUL will roll out 30 hydrogen fuel cell HGVs to haulage operators primarily operating along the M4 corridor by 2026, with an added ambition to deploy 300 vehicles by 2030.
With the haulage sector currently accounting 19 per cent of domestic transport emissions the project will target the UK’s heaviest, most polluting HGVs, delivering zero emissions HGVs weighing up to 44 tonnes.
Alongside HGVs with suitable operational range and flexibility, HyHAUL will also deploy a network of refuelling stations. Hydrogen for the refuelling stations will be sourced from multiple green hydrogen projects across South Wales including Protium’s ‘Pioneer 2’ and other projects.
Led by Protium, HyHAUL brings together the long-distance hydrogen HGV value chain that includes green hydrogen generation, hydrogen logistics, refuelling infrastructure providers and fuel cell HGV manufacturers.
In its first phase, the consortium partners include ReFuels’ CNG Fuels, Scania, NRG Riverside, and Reynolds Logistics. Trucks will be provided by multiple OEMs. Initial hauliers include established companies and decarbonisation first movers, such as EV Cargo and FSEW.
According to Protium, HyHAUL will provide vehicle OEMs and fleet operators with operational data on the performance of first-generation fuel cell electric trucks and will help to remove barriers to wider adoption across the industry.
In a statement, Chris Jackson, CEO of Protium, said: “HyHAUL showcases the incredible potential for green hydrogen within transportation, a sector that has one of the largest emissions in the UK.
“Our project provides a commercially viable solution to lower the emissions of long-distance haulage, a notoriously hard-to-abate area of the sector. It also marks a significant milestone in Protium’s ambitious target to reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions by 1 million tonnes yearly by 2030.”
The launch of HyHAUL follows a successful application for over £30m in funding from the Department for Transport and Innovate UK.
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