Wales & West Utilities (WWU) has launched a landmark 12-week operational trial of a prototype hydrogen fuel-cell Ford Transit in Swansea and West Wales.
The project by the gas emergency and pipeline service aims to find viable zero-emission solutions for commercial vehicles where current battery-electric options fall short due to range, payload and towing constraints.
WWU operational teams are using the prototype light commercial vehicle on a daily basis for real-world tasks, including delivering heavy equipment and supporting frontline crews on gas mains replacement projects. Refuelling at 700bar to maximise range, the vehicle operates out of the H2Bay infrastructure at the Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions site in Swansea, using green hydrogen produced and delivered by Protium Green Solutions at a facility supported by Fuel Cell Systems.
Testing the full capability of the vehicle is essential to understanding how much it might cost to operate hydrogen-fuelled vehicles as part of a low-carbon fleet in a real world, operational setting. The project team will also assess the vehicle’s potential range, refuelling needs and payload during a typical working day.
The trial (which is available to watch online) supports WWU’s search to make carbon savings with new technologies across its extensive regional operations.
The utility currently operates a fleet of around 1,300 vehicles across Wales and the south west of England, which represents a significant part of its carbon footprint. The fleet covered over 15 million miles in 2025 alone, using 4.3 million litres of diesel fuel.
Stephen Offley, transport lead for WWU’s Net Zero & Sustainability team, elaborated: “This is clearly an area where we can make huge carbon savings with the right technology. This trial demonstrates our commitment to finding the most operationally effective low-carbon solutions for our fleet, whilst we continue to provide the reliable and efficient services our customers expect.
“We are confident that hydrogen will have an important role to play in the decarbonisation of road transport as we move away from fossil fuels. We hope that our vehicle trials will inspire other organisations to consider hydrogen as a zero-emission solution.”
The project, which builds on a previous hydrogen vehicle trial, aims to show how hydrogen fuel cell technology can meet the operational demands of light commercial vehicles, for example, in utility and construction environments.
Offering a zero-emission alternative to diesel is critical to fleet operators that require power and range in daily operations. Although electric vehicles meet some of WWU’s fleet requirements, they cannot do everything needed. Additionally, the UK’s public charging network is not yet suitable to support WWU’s entire fleet.
Through its multi-partner collaboration, WWU’s trials tackle this while supporting a broader UK effort to decarbonise fleets, particularly goods vehicle operators using heavily loaded HGVs or light commercial vehicles which cover long distances or require significant towing capacity.
David Muckle, chief operating officer at Protium, said green hydrogen provides a practical solution for light commercial vehicles where duty cycle, payload, range and rapid refuelling are critical.
“Protium is proud to supply the hydrogen for this long-term trial, showcasing how regional hydrogen ecosystems can decarbonise essential commercial fleets with front-line response.”
Stelios Karagiorgis, innovation project lead at Ford, added: “We are proud to be working with Wales & West Utilities on this important project. By combining Ford’s engineering expertise with cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell technology, this trial demonstrates how zero-emission vehicles can meet the real-world demands of everyday fleet operations.”
Lee Juby, chief executive of Fuel Cell Systems, said the trial demonstrates how accessible hydrogen mobility has become, highlighting that the availability of dependable, easy-to-deploy refuelling infrastructure is just as important as the vehicles themselves.
“Projects such as this demonstrate that the UK now has the capability to deliver both hydrogen vehicles and the refuelling infrastructure needed to support them. We are pleased to play our part in helping accelerate that transition.”
Chris Foxall, chief executive of Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions, added: “Projects such as this demonstrate what’s possible when industry works together to accelerate the transition to net zero.
“At Hyppo, we’re focused on turning hydrogen from an ambition into a practical, everyday energy solution. Working with partners such as Wales & West Utilities, Ford, Protium and Fuel Cell Systems is helping to develop the infrastructure, skills and confidence needed to deploy hydrogen safely and effectively across transport, power and industry.”
