The Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK are investing £10 million in feasibility studies for zero emission road freight. The aim is to support feasibility studies for a future zero emission road freight demonstration of hydrogen fuel cell 44t trucks. Any future trial is expected to start in 2024/25 but is subject to funding, with the results of the feasibility studies likely to be used to support the business case for Government support from DfT.
Arcola Energy, University of St Andrews, BOC and Scottish Power have been awarded funding for a feasibility study to develop a project design for trials of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Scotland.
The key objectives are to identify interested users with a desire to decarbonise their heavy transport and to use these examples to specify both vehicles and infrastructure requirements. Vehicle requirements will be used by Arcola to inform a vehicle design to deliver a product ready for a trial. Operator routes will be used to design a trial and hydrogen refuelling locations. Scottish Power are included to provide the connection to green hydrogen production and supply and BOC provide expertise in refuelling infrastructure.
The project aims to explore several different use cases for heavy trucks in Scotland including timber transport.
The target is for a demonstration of at least twenty 44t trucks with 5-10 users and using 3 refuelers already in place in Scotland by the time a trial is expected to start and adding 2 or 3 new installations.
To enable the study we are looking to capture key vehicle and operational requirements and to identify key routes and locations that would be suitable for refuelling to enable the use of zero emission vehicles.