UK green hydrogen hub awarded €20m of EU funding

On 31 March 2026, a major green hydrogen initiative in the United Kingdom has secured €20 million (approximately $23 million) in funding from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, part of the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. The funding will support the “Lighter than Aire” project, a large-scale effort aimed at advancing renewable hydrogen production and its application in heavy-duty transport and industry. Despite its exit from the European Union in 2020, the UK has participated in Horizon Europe as an associate member since 2024, contributing financially to the programme and maintaining access to funding opportunities for collaborative research and clean energy projects.

The Lighter than Aire project is spearheaded by HydraB, an investment group owned by industrialist Jo Bamford, whose family is known for its association with construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The project brings together a strong consortium of industry players, including HydraB-backed firms Wrightbus, Ryze Power, and Hygen, alongside global automotive company Toyota, fuel-cell technology provider Geopura, and gas distribution firm Northern Gas Networks.

The initiative focuses on developing an integrated hydrogen ecosystem across northern England, connecting key regions such as Bradford, Leeds, and the Humber industrial cluster. The project aims to establish production, transportation, and end-use infrastructure to accelerate hydrogen adoption in industrial processes and heavy transport. At full capacity, the hub is expected to produce approximately 4,500 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually through electrolysis. In parallel, the project plans to deploy around 150 hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles, supporting the decarbonization of heavy-duty transport.

The development aligns with HydraB’s broader ambitions in the hydrogen sector. In 2025, the company launched the HySpeed consortium, targeting the installation of 1 gigawatt of electrolyser capacity across the UK by 2030. Additionally, its subsidiary Hygen recently acquired the 5 MW HyBont hydrogen project in Wales, which benefits from government-backed subsidy mechanisms to bridge the cost gap between green hydrogen and fossil fuels.

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