Island Hydrogen

Two hydrogen refuelling stations will be built on the Isle of Wight to produce zero-carbon fuel for a fleet of vehicles. The stations—one producing 100 kg of hydrogen per day, the other 15 kg per day—will be connected to the grid and paired with renewable energy sources. This allows the refuellers to act as flexible loads, soaking up excess renewable power when it is available and using it to make hydrogen via electrolysis. The project addresses a practical gap: how to produce and deliver green hydrogen for transport without building dedicated pipelines or large central plants. If successful, the 12-month trial with fuel-cell and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles will demonstrate that small-scale, grid-connected refuellers can work reliably in a real-world setting. That matters for the energy grid, because it turns refuelling stations into tools for balancing supply and demand—absorbing renewable power that might otherwise be wasted. The impact is local but replicable. If the Isle of Wight model works, similar island or rural communities could adopt the same approach: using local renewables to fuel a clean transport fleet without relying on distant infrastructure. The project also includes education and dissemination activities aimed at schools, businesses, and the public.