AN EDINBURGH-BASED hydrogen technology firm is to open the first public hydrogen refuelling station for vehicles in Scotland’s central belt.

Logan Energy’s refuelling station will allow hydrogen-electric and dual-fuel vehicles to be refuelled to 350bar and will offer the only refuelling stop between Aberdeen and Sheffield, about 360 miles apart.

The firm has financed the refuelling station itself and is offering service to expand the potential of hydrogen in Scotland.

It is hoped that it will encourage people to consider hydrogen vehicles as viable green transport options.

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The station is based at Logan Energy’s Wallyford facility less than a mile off the A1, and will offer safe, supervised fuelling by trained personnel during working hours.

Bill Ireland, chief executive of Logan Energy, said: “While hydrogen-powered electric vehicles offer real reductions in carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions, the widespread uptake of these vehicles is restricted by the lack of investment in the deployment of refuelling stations.

“With a Scottish ban on fossil fuel vehicle sales by 2032, and UK by 2035, petrol filling stations will start to see a decrease in revenue imminently and will need to look to the alternatives to survive. Our technology offers part of the solution.”

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A report issued by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking projected that fuel cell and hydrogen technologies will be able to generate enough hydrogen to supply around a quarter of the EU’s total annual energy demand by 2050, and could fuel 42 million large cars, 1.7 million trucks, around a quarter of a million buses and more than 5,500 trains.

Logan Energy also said it is developing plans to produce green hydrogen on site, through electrolysis powered by solar power, which is part of its push to make its facility and refuelling station a “centre of excellence”.