The UK’s first commercial hydrogen refuelling station has opened on 20^th September 2011. This is the first hydrogen refuelling station to be opened as part of the ‘Hydrogen Highway’ initiative, which will be a network of hydrogen refuelling stations stretching along the M4 corridor, from Swansea to Swindon.

ZCB2030 has looked into possible scenarios for transport in the future. Running cars on hydrogen made from natural gas produces a 50-60% saving in CO₂ compared to running them on fossil fuels. However, due to the losses involved in the production of hydrogen, it will never exceed the efficiency of using electricity directly.

The advantage of hydrogen over electric batteries is that it is able to store more energy for less weight. It is therefore useful in vehicles where a very large amount of power is needed, or where it is not easy to stop and recharge or exchange batteries. ZCB2030 foresees the use of hydrogen to power heavier vehicles such as HGVs, buses and possibly taxi fleets.

To find out more about ZCB2030’s stance on the transport for the future, download and read ZCB2030: Chapter 5, or read the Chapter summary here.