The Lower Thames Crossing, currently owned and managed by National Highways, is being billed as the first major British infrastructure project to be carbon neutral in construction.
While the 拢11bn project will still require 40 million litres of diesel to power machinery during its construction, the intention is to use hydrogen, electric and other low-carbon fuels as much as is feasible.
National Highways published a contract notice for the supply of hydrogen to the Lower Thames Crossing in 2024, with an advertised contract value of 拢80m
GeoPura will supply 2,500 tonnes of hydrogen to the Lower Thames Crossing, enough to replace more than 12 million litres of diesel, National Highways said. 聽GeoPura will manage the supply, delivery, storage on site and dispensing of hydrogen for use by contractors on the project to fuel their construction plant and equipment.聽
Six hydrogen powered generators provided by GeoPura are already at work on the project, charging batteries used in electric machinery on a work site in Essex.聽 A JCB hydrogen fuelled backhoe loader became the first one deployed outside a test environment anywhere in the world when it was used to carry out survey work on the project in Kent last year.
Matt Palmer, executive director for the Lower Thames Crossing, said: 鈥淭oday we鈥檝e given the green light to green hydrogen. By replacing diesel with home grown hydrogen, we're not only reducing our own carbon footprint but also helping clean up the construction sector. National Highways is supporting new jobs and skills that will put British businesses and people at the forefront of the growing clean energy sector."
Founded in 2019, GeoPura produces green hydrogen across several locations in the UK via electrolysis powered by locally sourced renewable electricity. This includes at its flagship HyMarnham Power facility in Nottinghamshire. Located on the site of a former coal-fired power station, the HyMarnham Power site is supported by government funding.
GeoPura chief executive Andrew Cunningham said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e extremely proud to be supplying the largest volume of green hydrogen ever contracted for a British construction project and I congratulate the Lower Thames Crossing for setting a powerful example of how major infrastructure can be delivered sustainably. This contract award further strengthens the British hydrogen supply chain driving both price efficiency and British jobs across this new, exciting industry with tangible deployments.鈥�
Assuming a price of 拢1.50 a litre for diesel, the Lower Thames Crossing聽project will save 拢18m on diesel by spending 拢80m on hydrogen. The Department of Transport is currently seeking private finance to take over the project. It is not clear whether the new owners will be tied to this approach to fiscal prudence 鈥撀爋r how this fits in with the government's promise to stop gold-plating infrastructure projects for purely environmental gains.