Multimodal company John G Russell (Transport) will put hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) into daily operations on UK roads, writes Peter Brown.
Three FCEV tractor units are part of Scania’s Pilot Partner programme and the ZEHID project, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
The Coatbridge-based operator is the first UK operator to put hydrogen FCEVs into daily operations on UK roads, according to Scania.
Stephen Madden, group fleet engineer at John G Russell, said: “We are committed to delivering sustainable logistics through innovation and the use of cutting-edge technology to reduce environmental impact.
“As a key part of our customers’ supply chains, we have always taken this responsibility seriously, from our early adoption of intermodal operations in the 1970s to our current involvement in UK-wide decarbonisation trials.
“We identified early on that hydrogen could play a critical role in delivering a true carbon zero solution for non-urban logistics. In response, we built partnerships with organisations and experts who could help bring Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles to the UK, alongside investing in the infrastructure needed to support them.
“The ZEHID demonstration project marks a significant step forward. It enables us to invest in and trial both hydrogen and battery electric vehicles, along with refuelling solutions, in real-world heavy-duty operations.
“This is an exciting opportunity to build confidence in zero-emission freight. By operating three of Scania’s prototype FCEVs in the UK, we are proud to be at the forefront of a pioneering initiative that will help accelerate the transition to cleaner, greener logistics.”
PILOT PROGRAMME
The three Scania fuel-cell vehicles have been developed by Scania’s Pilot Partner division in Sweden and form part of a prototype fleet of 16 trucks in Europe, with the aim of assessing how hydrogen FCEV trucks operate in different scenarios.
Set up as 6×2 tractor units with rear-steer axles, the trucks are fitted with a 400kW electric machine and an installed battery capacity of 416kWh, providing a predicted range of up to 300km in electric-only mode at a gross vehicle weight of 44 tonnes.
Under the cab is a 300kW Cummins fuel cell system, while behind the cab are fuel tanks capable of storing up to 56kg of hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bar, along with a cooling fan system to regulate the coolant temperature.
With the support of the fuel-cell technology, the range is extended to up to 850km.
Using a hybrid powertrain, the trucks can be powered by the electric motor or fuel-cell system independently, or by both systems in parallel. The fuel-cell system can also act as a range extender for the batteries.
Head of Pilot Partner at Scania, Tony Sandberg, said: “John G Russell’s commitment to innovation and sustainability demonstrates what is possible when an ambitious transport operator works closely with its partners.
“Together we will learn more about how hydrogen fuel-cell technology works in the real world, and the benefits it could create. By learning together through real-world operations, we can help move the transport industry towards a more sustainable, resilient and secure future.”
Dr Isabella Panovic, programme manager of Zero Emission Road Freight at Innovate UK, highlighted the importance of the trial.
“The insights gained from these vehicles will be invaluable in helping industry and government understand where hydrogen can play a role alongside battery electric solutions in delivering a net zero freight future.
“Innovate UK are delighted to see John G Russell and Scania leading the way with this UK-first deployment.”
Scania UK sales director Mark Bridgland added: “For a collaboration of this nature to be successful, it is vital that we work together to overcome any barriers and hurdles. While also sharing all the intelligence we gain on how these vehicles perform – from an engineering and an operational perspective too.
“Seeing how our Pilot Partner prototype FCEV trucks perform day-to-day on the UK roads with John G Russell will be fascinating. It will be interesting to see what insight, learnings and data we get at the end of the trial. It will be invaluable.”
In September, Scania and Toyota announced a partnership to further test fuel-cell technology in real-world logistics with an additional 40 trucks.
