Shell unveils first of three hydrogen refuelling stations

Shell has unveiled its first hydrogen refuelling station in the UK with plans to open two more this year.

The new station is situated on the M25 at its Cobham service station and has been supplied by ITM Power.

It is the first fully branded and public hydrogen refuelling site in the UK and has been introduced to the country following the success of sites in California and Germany, where Shell is part of a venture to create up to 400 hydrogen sites.

The fuel company is currently in the process of delving into potential future projects in the US, Canada, Austria, Belgium, France, and others.

Matthew Tipper, vice president, Future Fuels at Shell, said: “Hydrogen has the potential to become a clean and versatile transport fuel for the future, and the Cobham hydrogen site is one of the ways Shell is encouraging the use of alternative fuels to contribute to the energy transition.

“This will provide customers with hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles the ability to refuel simply and quickly, at one of the largest petrol stations in the UK.”

Shell is also a founding member of the Hydrogen Council, which comprises of energy companies, OEMs and technology partners who pledge to increase investment into the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors.

Sinead Lynch, Shell’s UK country chair, added: “We believe the journey to a low-carbon economy requires coordinated and collaborative approach among organisations in the transport sector, including providers of energy and transport vehicles, users of transport vehicles, local authorities as well as the government,

“The Cobham retail site is a small but significant step toward developing infrastructure needed for increased usage of hydrogen vehicles.”