UK hydrogen supply network one step closer with €20m in EU funding

April 15, 2026

2 min read

The money will go towards developing over 4,500 tonnes of green hydrogen production capacity and the development of more than 150 hydrogen trucks. A UK-based consortium, Lighter than Aire (LTA), has been awarded €20 million in funding by the EU’s Clean Hydrogen Partnership.

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is a public-private partnership targeted at accelerating the development and deployment of advanced clean hydrogen applications in Europe, funding projects that focus on production, distribution, storage and end-use applications to help Europe with reaching climate neutrality goals by 2050.

Hydrogen mobility in the UK has struggled to get off the ground, as it has faced barriers such as high costs and limited refuelling infrastructure. In December 2025, a UK-funded hydrogen truck corridor project was scrapped after the scheme failed to secure customer commitments by a contractual milestone.

This is what LTA aims to address. The consortium, which is made up of 13 UK hydrogen technology companies and coordinated by HydraB, has said it will take on lessons from previous hydrogen cluster projects to overcome technological, financial and regulatory barriers. It is aiming to establish a large-scale hydrogen valley running from Bradford along the Aire-Humber River over the next five years.

Two members, Hygen Energy and N-Gen, are building a 35MW green hydrogen project in Bradford while other members, including bus manufacturer Wrightbus and hydrogen supplier Ryze Power, will work alongside Toyota, GeoPura and Intelligent Energy.

Findings from the project can be utilised for scalability and replicability across the UK and Europe in similar environments.

Logistics UK’s Head of Decarbonisation Lamech Solomon said: “Securing this level of investment is a significant step forward for the UK’s hydrogen ambitions, particularly at a time when the sector has faced real challenges in scaling infrastructure and securing demand.

“What’s encouraging about this project is its focus on the full ecosystem – from production through to vehicles and end use – which is exactly what’s needed to make hydrogen viable for road freight.

“For logistics operators, the key will be whether initiatives like this can bring down costs and provide the refuelling reliability the industry needs to confidently invest. If those pieces fall into place, projects such as this could play an important role in decarbonising heavier duty fleets where electrification alone may not be sufficient.”