National Highways has appointed GeoPura as part of a major hydrogen deal for the Lower Thames Crossing project.
GeoPura will supply 2,500 tonnes of hydrogen to the project, believed to be the largest volume of green hydrogen ever produced for a British construction project.
Enough to replace more than 12 million litres of diesel, the hydrogen is expected to help save an estimated 30,000 tonnes of carbon emissions on site.
The deal is part of National Highways’ ambition to deliver the first major carbon-neutral infrastructure project in Britain.
The Lower Thames Crossing is a new road connecting Kent, Thurrock and Essex via a tunnel beneath the River Thames. In November, the chancellor confirmed an £891m investment in the scheme as part of the autumn budget.
GeoPura will supply the hydrogen for the project as a managed service, which includes the delivery, storage and distribution to equipment on site during the main construction phase.
National Highways will require its delivery partners and their supply chain to invest in hydrogen-powered machinery, and develop the skills needed to operate and maintain them.
‘Home-grown hydrogen’
Matt Palmer, executive director for the Lower Thames Crossing, said: “Today we’ve given the green light to green hydrogen. By replacing diesel with home-grown hydrogen, we’re not only reducing our own carbon footprint, but also helping clean up the construction sector.
“National Highways is supporting new jobs and skills that will put British businesses and people at the forefront of the growing clean energy sector.”
Andrew Cunningham, GeoPura’s CEO, added: “We’re extremely proud to be supplying the largest volume of green hydrogen ever contracted for a British construction project and I congratulate the Lower Thames Crossing for setting a powerful example of how major infrastructure can be delivered sustainably.
“This contract award further strengthens the British hydrogen supply chain, driving both price efficiency and British jobs across this new, exciting industry with tangible deployments.”
Sustainable energy supply
Six hydrogen-powered generators provided by GeoPura are already at work on the project, charging batteries used in electric machinery on a work site in Essex with zero emissions.
GeoPura produces green hydrogen across several locations in the UK via electrolysis powered by locally sourced renewable electricity. This includes at its flagship HyMarnham Power facility in Nottinghamshire.
Located on the site of a former coal-fired power station, the HyMarnham Power site is supported by government Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 (HAR1) funding.
Enhancing hydrogen production capacity is part of the government’s plans to increase energy security by reducing reliance on imported fuel sources that are vulnerable to disruption in supply.
Chris McDonald, minister for industry, said: “GeoPura and the Lower Thames Crossing collaboration is proof that clean energy goes hand-in-hand with major British infrastructure projects.
“Hydrogen has a key role to play in our industrial strategy, and from Nottinghamshire to Kent, our first flagship hydrogen projects will sustainably power projects up and down the country.”
