The Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA), in partnership with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), has written to junior transport minister Keir Mather putting the case for hydrogen's role in decarbonising heavy transport.
Ahead of a forthcoming refresh of the UK hydrogen strategy, the three organisations have highlighted hydrogen’s potential as a diesel-replacement for hard-to-electrify land transport applications - including HGVs, long-distance coaches, utility vans, construction plant, emergency service fleets, and parts of the rail sector.
The letter says that that without government intervention, the UK risks over-reliance on battery-electric solutions, which could lead to significant grid constraints, rare earth dependency, reduced fleet productivity, and loss of competitiveness to international markets already scaling hydrogen deployment.
The letter follows a recent cross-sector workshop convened by the HEA, which brought together vehicle operators, technology providers, financiers and industry associations.
Participants identified that battery-electric solutions alone are not sufficient to meet the operational requirements of the heavy transport sector and that urgent action is required to ensure that the opportunity for the economic value and decarbonisation potential in these applications is not lost.
The HES says that found that relative, to its population size, the UK has ‘significantly fewer’ hydrogen refuelling stations than the European average: the UK currently has ‘fewer than six’ in regular operation, the HEA says. compared to around 100 across Europe. On that basis, as the UK accounts for roughly 10% of the population of Europe, it should have around 10 hydrogen refuelling stations by now.
But even this is not enough. The three organisations reckon that at least 12 or 13 stations along key freight corridors, plus support for back-to-base hubs, are needed today to make sure the UK is not ‘left behind’.
The HEA, RHA and CPA have called on government to:
- recognise hydrogen’s economic and strategic value for energy security, industrial growth, and decarbonisation, with consistent cross-departmental messaging
- publish a national roadmap for hydrogen fuel and refuelling infrastructure to provide market certainty and attract private investment
- introduce hydrogen demand targets to stimulate supply chains and support security of supply
- create mechanisms to bridge the early cost gap between hydrogen fuel and diesel
- ensure all hydrogen transport solutions, including internal combustion engine hydrogen, are supported under the ZEV mandate and other net zero policies.
HEA chief executive Emma Guthrie said: “Hydrogen is not just an energy solution – it is an economic opportunity. With the right policy support, the UK can decarbonise heavy transport without compromising productivity, while also creating jobs, strengthening energy security, and positioning itself as a global leader in hydrogen technology.”
CPA sustainability Luis Bassett said: “When it comes to decarbonising construction machinery nobody can predict the future, but it’s clear that there will be a mix of technologies at play. There are significant challenges to all alternative fuels, but hydrogen shows significant potential, particularly in off-grid locations and residual value on the international market. The UK must support both hydrogen fuel cell and combustion, to help the UK progress and reduce its dependence on diesel, maximising options to move away from fossil fuels.”
RHA managing director Richard Smith said: “HGV and coach operators face a challenging pathway to decarbonise their fleets. As the market for zero emission vehicle technologies develops to meet the UK’s net zero targets, it is essential that all technology options remain on the table, including hydrogen and the use of low carbon fuels. This is particularly critical for hard-to-decarbonise use cases, such as transporting very heavy goods.”
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