Hydrogen’s role in decarbonising transport

To meet the 2050 net-zero target, a combination of all existing alternative fuels, and possibly even new ones, will be necessary to decarbonise transport. But which solution is the most appropriate for which industry? Robin Futcher, managing director of Commercial Fuel Solutions, shares some insight

Presently, there is a lot of conjecture throughout industry with regards to which technology will prevail in the race to decarbonise transport. Some will argue that electrification is the way to go. Whereas others fervently insist that CNG or hydrogen is the most appropriate solution. And many are in support of the application of biofuels, like HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) and DME (Dimethyl ether) as intermediate solutions until new zero tail pipe drive train technology reaches maturity.

The fact is, that in order to meet the 2050 target of Net Zero, a combination of all these existing, and possibly even new, technologies will be necessary. But which solution is the most appropriate for which industry? Firstly, let’s take a quick look at electrification.

Range anxiety

Range anxiety is a term that most of you will be familiar with, but it’s important to realise that the majority of discussion on this topic originates from regions other than the UK.

Is it possible that a large part of the stigma regarding range anxiety is driven by the US? When you look at the average mileage a citizen in America drives, its radically different to that here in the UK.

To put that into perspective; the USA has a coverage of approximately 3,797,000,000 miles whereas the UK has an area of 94,058 miles. This probably explains why passenger cars in the US have an average annual mileage of 14,250 miles, almost double that of the UK’s average of 7,400 miles.

EV passenger cars typically have a range spanning from 320 to 460 miles. So when you consider the average UK car journey is only 8.4 miles, meaning that here in the UK, an electric car does indeed seem like a viable option.

Where is electrification not practical?

It’s not practical to fit a tractor or excavator with two tonnes of batteries, not when it is intended to operate on a farm or construction site, as it will simply sink into the ground. HGVs are not always best suited to electric drive trains either, specifically those with heavy payloads or projected range requirements that exceed the current capabilities of electrification. The list of vehicles where electrification is not necessarily an option is extensive, most of these vehicles operate within the Transport and NRMM sectors. Everything from 44T HGV’s, refuse trucks, cranes, cement mixers, emergency response vehicles. The list is extensive.

How does hydrogen address these requirements?

After cars and vans, HGVs are the largest contributor to domestic transport emissions, and account for approximately 19 per cent of the UK’s total CO2 transport emissions, making it imperative that heavy goods transport is decarbonised efficiently. The decarbonisation of HGVs poses more of a challenge than cars. Due to their heavier weight, they need significantly more power. And many HGVs travel long distances, making frequent recharging impractical. Hydrogen drive train technology offers both increased range and quicker refuelling times than electric vehicles, but currently faces limitations with regards to accessible refuelling infrastructure.

Accessible hydrogen within the UK

It’s worth pointing out that most of the proposed hydrogen powered heavy goods vehicles and offroad machines are not going to reach the UK’s roads until 2027. Allowing time for infrastructure to grow, However, when they do, they will need to be refuelled in an efficient manner.

If you keep up with industry headlines, you’ll have probably heard that recently the UK’s hydrogen refuelling infrastructure has taken a hit. With the number of publicly accessible HRS (hydrogen refilling stations) dropping from 15 to 11. Although, if we take a look at current statistics, the situation might not seem as drastic as initially thought. When we compare the figures of hydrogen filling stations to the existing petroleum fuelling infrastructure, the figures identify an interesting statistic.

Currently there are 8,400 publicly accessible filling stations in the UK that service the 40 million+ cars and vans on the UK’s roads, this is an average of 4,166 cars / 581 vans per filling station.

When we compare that to hydrogen, despite that there are only 11 hydrogen filling stations at present, there are approximately only 500 cars, giving an average of 33 cars per filling station. In fact, even if you increased the number of hydrogen cars by 10^3 the numbers are still comparable.

Not withstanding this, there would still be some distance to travel to a nearby hydrogen filling station.

The Solution

This is why, Commercial Fuel Solutions Limited have developed a mobile hydrogen filling station, which can be used to mobilise hydrogen between locations. The solution is suitable for both transport and construction applications, and can be demounted from its trailer to provide a static storage and refuelling system.

Benefitting from full Category 2, Zone 1 rated Ex-architecture, the system delivers the confidence fleet operators require when using hydrogen to decarbonise their fleets. L

About the Author:

Robin Futcher is managing director of Commercial Fuel Solutions Limited.

Robin is an accomplished engineer with a wealth of experience spanning over 26 years, and has worked on a diverse range of refuelling projects, from developing equipment for the British Antarctic Survey intended for use in sub-zero temperatures, to providing systems for leading Formula 1 teams.

Robin also has extensive expertise in developing regulatory guidance and currently serves on numerous technical committees for gaseous hydrogen fuelling, including BSI, British Standards Institute and ISO, the International Organisation for Standardisation