British hydrogen producer GeoPura has been selected to supply what is being described as the largest volume of green hydrogen ever produced for a UK construction project for use on the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC).
Under the agreement, GeoPura will provide 2,500t of green hydrogen during the main construction phase of the new road and tunnel scheme. The company says this volume is sufficient to replace more than 12M litres of diesel and could cut around 30,000t of CO2 emissions compared with fossil fuels. The hydrogen will be delivered as a managed service, including storage and on‑site distribution to equipment.
National Highways – which is delivering the LTC to ease congestion at the Dartford Crossing and improve links between the south‑east ports, the Midlands and northern England – aims for the project to be carbon neutral in construction. The firm has been encouraging the use of hydrogen, electric and other low‑carbon fuels on site as part of that goal. The LTC received planning permission in March 2025, and the final tranche of public funding was confirmed in last year’s Budget to enable construction and long‑term operation by the private sector.
GeoPura, founded in 2019, produces green hydrogen by electrolysis using locally sourced renewable electricity. Its flagship facility, HyMarnham Power in Nottinghamshire, is built on the site of a former coal‑fired power station and is supported by government Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 (HAR1) funding. GeoPura says HyMarnham is due to reach commercial operation in the.
Six hydrogen‑powered generators from GeoPura are already operating on the LTC project, charging batteries for electric machinery at a work site in Essex. Last year a JCB hydrogen‑fuelled digger, a British‑made machine, was deployed on survey work in Kent, the first such use outside a test environment, the company says.
The contract is intended to prompt wider uptake of hydrogen within the construction industry. National Highways has required its delivery partners and supply chain, which include three major European construction firms, to invest in hydrogen‑powered machinery and the associated skills to operate and maintain it.
The LTC project has been broken up into three main works packages:
The move comes as the UK government and industry seek to expand domestic low‑carbon energy production to improve energy security and reduce reliance on imports. The emerging green energy sector is touted to create jobs and economic value; government and trade figures have suggested the sector could support hundreds of thousands of jobs and add billions to the economy by 2030, although exact outcomes will depend on policy and market developments.
GeoPura currently employs more than 170 people across the UK and Europe and has positioned itself as a provider of an integrated hydrogen service, combining production, storage, transport and a fleet of hydrogen power units for temporary on‑site power and refuelling.
Large‑scale adoption of hydrogen in construction requires investment in production capacity, distribution logistics and compatible machinery and hydrogen remains more expensive than diesel on a direct fuel‑cost basis in many applications. Support from HAR1 and other government mechanisms has helped projects such as HyMarnham progress but industry observers say sustained policy certainty and commercial demand will be needed to scale the sector and deliver the savings and emissions reductions projected.
If delivered as planned, the GeoPura supply for LTC would be the most prominent example to date of green hydrogen use in UK construction and could influence future procurement decisions across major infrastructure projects.
Last week, LTC confirmed to NCE that British suppliers could meet between 85-90% of the project’s low carbon steel requirements according to its recent market engagement. This news followed other reports suggesting that steel for the project would be procured abroad.
Minister for industry Chris McDonald said: “GeoPura and the LTC collaboration is proof that clean energy goes hand-in-hand with major British infrastructure projects.
“Hydrogen has a key role to play in our industrial strategy, and from Nottinghamshire to Kent, our first flagship hydrogen projects will sustainably power projects up and down the country.”
LTC executive director Matt Palmer said: “Today we’ve given the green light to green hydrogen. By replacing diesel with home grown hydrogen, we’re not only reducing our own carbon footprint but also helping clean up the construction sector.
“National Highways is supporting new jobs and skills that will put British businesses and people at the forefront of the growing clean energy sector.”
GeoPura chief executive Andrew Cunningham said: “We’re extremely proud to be supplying the largest volume of green hydrogen ever contracted for a British construction project and I congratulate the LTC for setting a powerful example of how major infrastructure can be delivered sustainably.
“This contract award further strengthens the British hydrogen supply chain driving both price efficiency and British jobs across this new, exciting industry with tangible deployments.”
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