Wales & West Utilities Sets Its Sights on Low-Emission Hydrogen Vehicles
Wales & West Utilities (WWU) has launched a green hydrogen vehicle trial in Swansea as it explores ways to reduce carbon emissions from its operations and identify low-carbon solutions for parts of its fleet where electric vehicles currently face operational limitations.
Working with Ford, WWU is conducting a 12-week trial of a prototype Ford Transit light commercial vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The project is supported by specialists across the hydrogen sector, with Protium Green Solutions producing and supplying the hydrogen and Fuel Cell Systems supporting the refuelling facility at the Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions site in Swansea.
During the trial, WWU operational colleagues will use the vehicle as part of their daily activities across Swansea and West Wales. The company will assess how the technology performs in real-world conditions and whether hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can meet the demands of its operational fleet.
While battery electric vehicles can meet some of WWU’s fleet requirements, the company says challenges remain around payload, driving range, towing capacity and recharging. The current UK public charging network also does not yet provide sufficient coverage to support all of WWU’s operational vehicles.
Hydrogen offers another potential route to zero-emission transport, particularly for vehicles that require greater range, payload or towing capability. The trial will use hydrogen refuelling at 700 bar and examine the practical requirements of operating a hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicle as part of a low-carbon fleet.
The project team will assess the vehicle’s range, refuelling requirements, payload and overall operating costs during a typical working day. Understanding the full capabilities of the vehicle in an operational environment will help determine whether hydrogen could provide a commercially viable solution for WWU’s fleet.
The trial builds on WWU’s previous experience with hydrogen vehicles and aims to demonstrate how fuel cell technology could meet the requirements of light commercial vehicles used in sectors such as utilities and construction. For operators that depend on power, range and frequent use, hydrogen could provide a zero-emission alternative to conventional diesel vehicles.
WWU operates around 1,300 vehicles across Wales and the south west of England. Its fleet travelled more than 15 million miles in 2025 and consumed approximately 4.3 million litres of diesel, making fleet decarbonisation a significant opportunity to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Stephen Offley, Transport Lead for WWU’s Net Zero & Sustainability team, said the trial reflects the company’s commitment to identifying low-carbon technologies that can deliver the operational performance required while maintaining reliable services for customers. He added that WWU expects hydrogen to have an important role in the decarbonisation of road transport and hopes its trials will encourage other organisations to consider hydrogen as a zero-emission option.
Stelios Karagiorgis, Innovation Project Lead at Ford, said the company was proud to work with WWU on the project, combining Ford’s engineering expertise with hydrogen fuel cell technology to demonstrate how zero-emission vehicles can address the demands of everyday fleet operations.
Protium Chief Operating Officer David Muckle said green hydrogen could provide a practical option for light commercial vehicles where duty cycles, payload, range and rapid refuelling are important, while Fuel Cell Systems CEO Lee Juby highlighted the importance of dependable refuelling infrastructure alongside hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Chris Foxall, CEO of Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions, said the project demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration between industry partners. The company is focused on developing the infrastructure, skills and confidence needed to deploy hydrogen safely and effectively across transport, power and industry, with the trial also showcasing activity taking place at H2Bay and across South Wales.
