Shell and ITM Power opens new hydrogen refuelling station

Shell has opened its new hydrogen refuelling station, which will be supplied by ITM Power.

Shell Beaconsfield on the M40 will be the first site in the UK to bring hydrogen under the same canopy as petrol and diesel.

This opening follows the launch of the first fully branded and public hydrogen refuelling site in the UK at Shell Cobham in February 2017.

The hydrogen is generated on-site using an electrolyser that requires only water and electricity to generate the hydrogen gas.

Mike Copson, hydrogen business development manager at Shell, said: “We’re delighted to be opening a new refuelling site at Shell Beaconsfield, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to hydrogen as a vital part of the UK’s future transport system.

“Bringing hydrogen under the canopy for the first time is a fantastic step towards making it a convenient and viable fuel choice for UK drivers.”

The hydrogen station at Beaconsfield is the fifth hydrogen refuelling site in the UK to be supplied by ITM Power and will be the first to be opened as part of the H2ME project.

The initiative has been partially funded by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), and the UK’s Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

The opening of the hydrogen station follows a number of recent Shell initiatives to support the UK’s transition to low-carbon transport.

These include the launch of Shell ReCharge, Shell’s on-forecourt rapid electric vehicle charging service; an agreement with charging network operator IONITY to offer charge points across ten European countries; and the acquisition of NewMotion, one of Europe’s largest electric vehicle charging networks.