Hydrogen EV charger
18 December 2023
An electric vehicle (EV) charging area powered by hydrogen has opened at a motorway services in Scotland.
Cairn Lodge Services on the M74 in Lanarkshire says it is the first such facility in the UK to offer such as facility. The family-run business is part of the Westmorland Family group which has teamed up with GeoPura to connect its HPU generator fuelled by green hydrogen.
Nabil Subuh, CEO of Westmorland said: “As EV adoption soars, the pressure on the electrical grid has become increasingly evident, leaving businesses like Westmorland to look for creative, sustainable alternatives until there is sufficient grid capacity.
“To the customer, the charging experience is no different to a grid-connected charger, and by utilising this new technology we can provide much-needed EV charging facilities sooner, meeting the growing demand without having a negative impact on the environment.”
Drivers visiting Cairn Lodge Services now will have access to 6 ‘ultra-rapid’ EV chargers operated by SWARCO Smart Charging until a suitable electrical grid connection is established.
The facility says it will now be able to meet the demands of the holiday season and the expected surge in EV charging requests throughout the Christmas period.
Andrew Cunningham, CEO of GeoPura, added: “If we can charge our EVs from the grid, where in the UK 50% of the energy is renewable, that is by far the best option. However, our existing distribution grid wasn’t designed to provide the energy required for an electrified transportation network. This means that many locations where we need to charge our cars don’t have sufficient power available to give the service that their owners require.”
As reported earlier on the blog, GeoPura’s HPU (hydrogen power unit) harnesses the power of hydrogen to generate electricity as a clean and efficient alternative to traditional diesel generators. It utilises a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen gas into electricity, emitting only water as a by-product.
An independent report from Recharge UK estimates that by 2050, charging demand will nearly triple for public charging from 10.9TWh to 29.8TWh. Published last July, it warns that to-date the charge point rollout has been uneven, with gaps in rural areas and capacity increases required especially in the Southeast, East and North West of England.
The report recommends local authorities urgently develop EV infrastructure plans to co-ordinate grid upgrades and suggests that solutions like ‘pop-up’ charging hubs can plug gaps.
Pictured at the Cairn Lodge charging point facility are, from left: Caroline Leigh, Property Director at Westmorland, Anne Buckingham MD of SIS part of SWARCO, and Matt Barney, Business Development Manager with GeoPura.
