Element 2 and Exelby Services to establish UK’s first public hydrogen refuelling service stations for HGV Fleets

Element 2, the UK’s leading hydrogen refuelling business, has today announced its partnership with Exelby Services to develop hydrogen refuelling stations at its Coneygarth and Golden Fleece service station locations along the A1(M) and M6 motorways respectively, serving critical trunk roads in the North England.

The Yorkshire and Cumbria sites will become the first public service stations in the UK to provide hydrogen refuelling services for hydrogen-powered Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).

Exelby and Element 2 are responding to demand from commercial customers seeking to rapidly transition to low-carbon, sustainable transport, with hydrogen forming a central pillar of their strategies.

Tim Harper, Chief Executive Officer, Element 2, commented: “This partnership is a pivotal moment in bringing hydrogen refuelling to the UK’s roads. Together with our forward-looking partner Exelby, we will provide a turnkey solution for refuelling hydrogen HGVs on key haulage routes in the North of England. We’re building the UK’s network of hydrogen refuelling stations in response to growing demand from fleet owners and operators as they accelerate the transition of their HGV fleets to zero emissions, which will be critical in helping the UK meet its zero carbon targets.”

Rob Exelby, Managing Director, Exelby Services, commented: “Following the ever-increasing global focus on tackling climate change, now is the time to be proactive and embrace low and zero carbon alternatives to diesel drivetrains. We’re proud to be partnering with Element 2 who have shown a great understanding in how existing fuelling networks operate, and with their expertise we can implement hydrogen refuelling on our existing service areas to offer a one-stop-shop for all road users as we transition to net-zero.

Element 2 will deploy hydrogen refuelling infrastructure at the two service station sites – including provision for hydrogen tanker supply, storage, compression and dispensing – as well as providing Exelby with technical and logistical support during the planning and scoping phase, and during planning for appropriate civil layout schemes for the stations.

The concept design at Element 2 focuses on sustainability, using local materials, recycling water, and using wind turbines to provide the sites electricity.

While the two permanent hydrogen refuelling stations are being developed, Element 2 will deploy its market-leading mobile hydrogen refueller to meet current client demand for low-carbon fuel at Exelby’s Carlisle site.

Exelby is targeting a range of investments to support the UK’s haulage industry with net-zero targets and plans to integrate hydrogen into its forecourt operations around the country.