Wales & West Utilities has begun trials of First Hydrogen’s hydrogen fuel cell powered van which will support network engineers to make customer call outs and undertake repair and maintenance work.
The vehicle will operate from WWU’s Swansea depot, and test its range, payload towing and fast refuelling capabilities.
Using Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions’ mobile refuelling service and green H2 fuel from Protium Green Solutions will enable WWU to refuel close to its depot in Swansea rather than travelling to a public station.
The utility company, which provides gas supply and connections to more than 7.5 million customers in Wales and southwest England, recently announced a proposal to develop a major hydrogen pipeline across South Wales.
Stephen Offley, Transport Manager at Wales & West Utilities, said: “We are confident that hydrogen will play a fundamental role in delivering low-cost green energy as we move away from fossil fuels.
“Having test driven the vans at First Hydrogen’s track event last year, we’re looking forward to trialling the FCEV in our day-to-day operations and pioneering the use of hydrogen within our fleet.
“In demonstrating the practicalities of hydrogen, we want to inspire other industries and businesses in Wales and across the UK to view hydrogen as a realistic, operationally effective zero-emission solution.”
Steve Gill, Head of Automotive at First Hydrogen, said: “This trial will help us to learn a lot about moveable and depot-based refuelling solutions and how this technology could help bridge gaps in the UK’s refuelling infrastructure network.
“Ultimately, our role in developing hydrogen ecosystem with partners will strengthen our service offering to fleets and accelerate hydrogen mobility adoption.”
