Air Products expands support for UK hydrogen with £6.5m injection

Leading hydrogen supplier Air Products has committed to investing £6.5m into a new trailer and cylinder filling station at its Llanwern hydrogen facility in South Wales.

Expected to produce 1.5 tonnes of fuel-cell-grade hydrogen per day when it comes onstream in Spring 2023, the facility will have a capacity to serve a fleet of 100 buses or 50 trucks.

By supporting the UK’s energy transition to clean hydrogen, Air Products aims for the investment to bring ‘further confidence’ to end-users.

“At Air Products, we are working with commercial partners and governments in the UK and around the world to drive the energy transition,” commented Manish Patel, UK Hydrogen for Mobility Director at Air Products.

“Air Products has made an industry-leading commitment of at least $15bn to clean energy transition megaprojects to ensure when governments or industries want to make the switching to clean hydrogen, they will know they have a reliable and secure supply.”

According to government statistics, UK transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, producing 24% of the UK’s total emissions in 2020 (406m tonnes of CO2 equivalent).

In its Hydrogen Strategy, published last year, the UK government highlighted the critical role that low carbon hydrogen will play in the UK’s transition to Net Zero.

With an ambition for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, the government has suggested that 20-35% of the UK’s energy consumption could be hydrogen-based by 2050.

By complementing electrification, hydrogen is expected to be used across modes of transport such as buses, trains and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). It is also likely to provide solutions for sectors that will not be able to fully decarbonise otherwise, including aviation and shipping.

Adding that hydrogen presents an opportunity to provide fuels that are not only lower carbon but more secure, Patel said, “The production assets and infrastructure required also offer a major source of economic growth.”

“Air Products already has multi-million-pound hydrogen projects under construction in the UK, and are actively seeking future investment opportunities.”

The company recently announced plans to bring the first large-scale, green hydrogen production facility to the Port of Immingham together with Associated British Ports, in addition to plans for the UK’s largest blue hydrogen facility.

“We look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with the Government on how the benefits arising from these investments may be brought forward quickly.”

The new facility will also provide the Welsh market with a hydrogen pathway. Calling it an ‘exciting time’ to be investing South Wales, Patel added that he hopes the investment gives real impetus and momentum to the wider green economy in the region.