Tees Valley hosts £20 million hydrogen transport competition

Credit: Department for Transport

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that Tees Valley will be hosting a new £20 million competition to explore how hydrogen can be used to create a cleaner and more efficient transport sector.

As part of the competition, run by Innovate UK, businesses and research groups will collaborate to discover how hydrogen can be used as a reliable fuel source. From lowering carbon emissions on grocery deliveries to making the air in cities cleaner, the investment opens up the possibilities of hydrogen to revolutionise how people live and breathe across the country.

The competition will address challenges such as refuelling on a large scale, ensuring buses and coaches can use hydrogen in public transport ecosystems and how to make the supply chain greener with hydrogen-fuelled HGVs.

As the technologies develop, the research from this competition will help bring about the large-scale production of low-carbon hydrogen, which could also reduce the UK’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.

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An additional £300,000 will also be put forward to support the upskilling of the local workforce. This will help grow the UK economy with a transport system that is resilient to global energy prices, environmentally friendly and could see the creation of hundreds of skilled jobs.

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges this generation faces, and with transport contributing 24 per cent to the UK’s CO₂ levels, we are working hard to change things now and for the future. Tees Valley continues to be the beacon for hydrogen technologies and will be further supported by £20 million going to the best and the brightest ideas that will create a world-leading industry with more skilled jobs in the heart of the north of England.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The first phase of our Hydrogen Transport Hub pilot, at sites including Teesside Airport, has already proved a great success, showing how these vehicles can be used safely, effectively and cleanly in a whole range of ways. Now, thanks to this competition, our brilliant innovative businesses can go further to unlock the potential of hydrogen to transform our transport system and undertake vital research.”

With this new funding, the Hydrogen Transport Hub, a testing ground of hydrogen-focused businesses and expertise, will see its largest competition launch.