Tees Valley college opens modular hydrogen refuelling and training hub
Redcar and Cleveland College has unveiled a new modular hydrogen refuelling and training facility, giving students and local businesses a hands-on introduction to hydrogen as a transport fuel.
Funded with £286,000 from the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s hydrogen transport programme, the system has been supplied by Aberdeen-based Hydrasun and includes four mobile training units for installation and maintenance practice.
Believed to be one of the first working hydrogen refuelling systems of its kind on a UK college campus, the unit allows students, apprentices and visiting delegates to see hydrogen refuelling in action.
It forms part of a wider push by the college – and by the region – to build the skills base needed for hydrogen, carbon capture and other low-carbon technologies taking shape across Teesside.
Bridging classroom learning with real-world technology
Jason Faulkner, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Education Training Collective, said the facility helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application: “To demonstrate hydrogen technology at the college helps massively, turning theory into practice and allowing students, apprentices and delegates to see hydrogen in action in a real environment.”
The college has also added three Toyota Mirai fuel cell cars to its fleet to show how hydrogen vehicles operate day to day. The new facility complements ongoing work on the Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub, which includes a permanent refuelling station under development at Teesside International Airport.
Building local skills for a hydrogen economy
Sarah Walker, Interim Director of Business Solutions at Tees Valley Combined Authority, said the region’s low-carbon ambitions depend on preparing the workforce:
“We are bringing thousands of highly skilled jobs to Tees Valley, but it is vital local people have the right training to take advantage of the career opportunities available.”
Hydrasun’s North England Regional Manager Neil Holmes said the collaboration aims to make hydrogen “practical and familiar” to future engineers and technicians: “This initiative offers an exciting opportunity for students and the future workforce to engage with hydrogen systems.
“It helps them demystify hydrogen technology in a practical, everyday setting, while equipping them with valuable skills for the future.”
The installation underlines Teesside’s growing role as a national testbed for hydrogen transport and skills, linking industry, education and infrastructure in the same place where many of the UK’s first large-scale hydrogen projects are already taking shape.
