Associated British Ports (ABP) has become the first UK port operator to trial a hydrogen-fuelled tractor in its container terminal at the Port of Immingham.

The joint pilot project received funding from the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult through Innovate UK’s Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII), following funding of initial feasibility from the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. 

A Terberg hydrogen terminal tractor has been tested at the UK’s largest port by volume of tonnage, alongside a mobile hydrogen filling station provided by Air Products.

The demonstration is a key activity in the bid to decarbonise port operations, and an important step in the creation, delivery and use of hydrogen at the Port of Immingham. Alongside this, HII is developing market, technology, and economic assessments of hydrogen technologies to support the larger UK industry with H2 adoption. 

Simon Bird, regional director of the Humber ports, says: “This demonstration of using hydrogen in port equipment in Immingham has been able to highlight the challenges and benefits of using this zero-emission energy in our port.

“It shows our customers how forward-thinking we are in meeting the need to decarbonise in the port and it’s great we’ve been able to collaborate with all the various partners in its delivery.”

Alisdair Couper, MD of Terberg DTS UK Ltd, points out that Terberg Special Vehicles started testing its concept Hydrogen Fuel Cell YT Terminal tractor in mainland Europe, with trials in Rotterdam and Antwerp. “This latest trial phase is the first of its type in the UK,” he explains.

ABP has been a long-term customer of Terberg Special Vehicles and has operated a fleet of YT 4x2 and RT 4x4 tractors over the years in its mixed-role environments. “This is an exciting opportunity to explore this new groundbreaking technology in a dynamic real-world scenario,” Couper adds.

The project has been a collaboration between ABP, Terberg, Air Products, and the ORE Catapult.