Over 2,500 tonnes of green hydrogen from UK hydrogen supplier GeoPura will power construction machinery at the Lower Thames Crossing project.
The hydrogen will replace more than 12 million litres of diesel at the site in Essex. According to National Highways, which is managing the project, the use of hydrogen is expected to save an estimated 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions during construction.
Approximately 23km in length, the £10bn Lower Thames Crossing will connect Kent, Thurrock and Essex with two tunnels – one northbound and one southbound – running beneath the River Thames. The project was given the go-ahead by the UK government last year, with an expected completion date of 2031.
National Highways has said that it will be the first major British infrastructure project to be carbon neutral in construction, and the contract with GeoPura marks the largest volume of green hydrogen ever produced for a British construction project. Six hydrogen-powered generators are already at work on the...