£7 million has been announced for hydrogen projects in the North East, which aim to decarbonise transport support skilled jobs and grow the economy.
Funding has been awarded to fuel distributer Exolum to build a publicly accessible green hydrogen refuelling station near Middlesbrough. It will initially be used to serve at least 25 new zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) making deliveries.
It is hoped the development will improve air quality for residents in the Tees Valley and support hundreds of skilled UK jobs and upskilling opportunities for workers.
Tees Valley Combined Authority will run a competition for Tees Valley colleges and training institutions to purchase hydrogen training equipment to upskill the local workforce.
Technology and decarbonisation minister, Anthony Browne, said: "It’s fantastic to see the Tees Valley continue to be a trailblazer in this vital technology to decarbonise heavier vehicles – leading the way for the wider rollout of green hydrogen.
"These 3 winning projects will not only support jobs and economic growth in the Tees Valley but will also help decarbonise our transport network."
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: "Our area is leading the way in developing the cleaner, healthier and safer transport of the future. This is another great example of how we are creating innovative solutions, such as greener deliveries to our supermarkets. As the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub, we are in a fantastic position to take advantage of projects such as this, which will deliver further jobs and investment needed to drive our local economy forward.
"As more of these major projects are confirmed, it’s also essential that we develop skills in our workforce, so this funding is vital to ensure local people can take advantage of the well-paid jobs this new technology is bringing."