Scottish hydrogen technologies firm Logan Energy wins multi-million pound contract to fuel zero emission buses in the Czech Republic. The project is the largest hydrogen project in the country and will power a fleet of buses using hydrogen created from a nearby hydroelectric scheme.
Logan Energy will supply critical equipment to a Czech Republic contractor, ČEZ ESCO, that will see ten hydrogen buses carrying passengers around the town of Mníšek pod Brdy at the end of 2025. This project uses green hydrogen produced using hydroelectric power.
The entire project achieves near zero emissions and will provide reliable transport with long range buses that can operate in the hilly geography 20 miles south-west of Prague.
Logan Energy will engineer, manufacture, supply and maintain the complete package of equipment for the project. This includes electrolysers to convert municipal water into hydrogen, storage tanks, compressors, fuelling system and key turnkey contractor services.
The deal for an undisclosed amount is Logan’s largest order to date. This is a boost for the Edinburgh based firm which has backing from various investors including Scottish Enterprise and Singapore based Lanxing New Energy.
Logan Energy’s CEO, Bill Ireland, comments.
“We are honoured to have been selected as the supplier of technology for the largest public fleet of hydrogen buses in the Czech Republic. We would like to thank ČEZ for their trust in our experience. We believe the project will be a catalyst for further transport and hydrogen economy projects in the Czech Republic.
This project is just part of the ramp up of hydrogen fuelling stations planned across the UK, Europe and worldwide and we’re proud to be supplying reliable technology to drive this revolution.
Larger vehicles like buses, trucks and other commercial transport can frequently operate more sustainably and effectively using hydrogen as a fuel rather than traditional battery electric vehicle technology.”
With conservative estimates of over 1,000 hydrogen fuelling stations to be added in Europe by 2030 it would be good to see supportive policy to encourage investment in more projects like this. By marrying hydrogen produced with renewable energy to the latest generation of hydrogen vehicles the UK can help reach its net zero targets.
This requires the courage of business and political leaders to invest in the technology which is already achieving scale in Germany and France. Although the UK lags behind, Logan have already been involved in projects for hydrogen transport in Aberdeen, Belfast and the Scottish islands as well as other applications for purifying wastewater and to help decarbonise the whisky sector. The potential for other applications is huge.
One of Britain’s leading green energy integrators – Logan Energy – has secured £5 million of investment to develop its systems-led approach in the emerging hydrogen power sector.
Logan Energy, based in Edinburgh, with manufacturing facilities in Wallyford and development facilities at Heriot-Watt University, has received more than 50% of the overall figure from green energy investment company, Lanxing New Energy, based in Singapore.
The balance of the investment was made by Scottish Enterprise who continue to support Logan on their strategic growth path. The funds will enable Logan Energy to develop its technology base and facilities, grow its workforce within the hydrogen sector in Edinburgh and expand internationally.
Bill Ireland, chief executive of Logan Energy, said:
“We have been working in the hydrogen sector for decades and see the energy market focussing on how hydrogen fits within the increasingly complex energy mix. Over the years, we have delivered to meet the changing demand and developed bespoke solutions which have now become our standard offering.
This investment allows Logan Energy to move forward with our mission to secure our position as an industry leader providing Integrated Hydrogen Energy Systems and Energy Transition Solutions across all market sectors. It will also allow us to address the supply chain issues the industry is facing by developing key relationships with OEMs and equipment developers around the globe and ramp-up our ground-breaking Research & Development (R&D) capabilities here in the UK using our unique know-how around hydrogen systems.
Lanxing New Energy shares our ambition around the massive potential for the integration of hydrogen energy systems and the investment from Scottish Enterprise will help develop our vital R&D function and allow us to build a skilled, well-rewarded and long-term workforce in the Hydrogen economy.”
Lanxing New Energy chief executive, Dr Yuxuan Zhang, said:
“We’ve been impressed with the Logan Energy team and the progress they are making in the UK and European market. We are clear that energy systems involving hydrogen have a vital part to play in the transition to a low carbon economy across the world. For us, it has been about finding the best partner to understand the complexities of integrated energy systems and develop advanced hydrogen technologies. We believe Logan Energy to be best in class. Over the coming months we aim to announce several new capabilities for the hydrogen market as we further develop Logan’s strategic plan.”
Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said:
“Logan Energy is pushing to the forefront of the hydrogen sector with its unparalleled whole-system expertise, products, and services.
With hydrogen as one of the transformational opportunities Scottish Enterprise is targeting as part of our future focus, Logan is a perfect fit for us to partner with in this investment.”
Logan Energy has been working with a range of clients on a variety of projects in the Netherlands, Germany, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Spain, Singapore, and China. In Scotland, the company is installing a hydrogen electrolyser at Arbikie Distillery near Montrose which will enable the distillery to power its operations partly from environmentally-sustainable green hydrogen – that is hydrogen created using renewable electricity from the wind turbine and local water sources.
Logan Energy chairman, Ian Marchant, said:
“Hydrogen has a key part to play in the Energy transition in Scotland, the UK and globally. Logan is well positioned to help companies and organisations develop, build, and operate all forms of hydrogen projects and this funding will allow further growth, involvement in larger projects and the development of the skill base needed.”
Both the UK and Scottish Governments have declared ambitious targets for hydrogen production. In Scotland, the Government is making available £100m in capital funding for renewable hydrogen projects. The first tranche of the hydrogen investment programme, the £10m Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, opened in June 2022. Announcing the plans, the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson, described the hydrogen economy as “Scotland’s greatest industrial opportunity since oil and gas was discovered in the North Sea.”
The UK Government aims to deliver up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half of this from electrolytic hydrogen (hydrogen gas produced through the process of electrolysis). It also aims to have up to 1GW of electrolytic hydrogen and up to 1GW of CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage)-enabled hydrogen in operation or construction by 2025.
The global hydrogen generation market size was estimated at $170.14 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.3% from 2024 to 2030.
ENDS
Supporting images can be found here.
For more information contact: Roddy Scott :: roddy@hottinroof.co.uk :: 07768506465
Notes to Editors
About Logan Energy
Logan Energy has extensive experience and a proven track record in delivering projects and solutions in the hydrogen and clean energy sectors. It specialises in integrated engineering solutions incorporating hydrogen technologies, including production, refuelling, storage, distribution, and fuel cells. It offers a full turnkey service from project inception and feasibility, design development, manufacturing, installation, and operation and maintenance. Logan Energy has built up over twenty-six years of expertise in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. To date, it has designed, built, and installed hydrogen production & refuelling stations for the UK & European markets and is currently constructing further stations for buses, vans, passenger vehicles, and heavy-duty vehicles. It has also installed, commissioned, and maintained over 1MWe of fuel cells providing heat, power, and cooling in landmark buildings in the UK.
Logan Energy continues to provide independent advice and expertise to a wide range of blue-chip clients.
For more information visit: https://www.loganenergy.com/
About Lanxing New Energy
Established in 2023 in Singapore, Lanxing New Energy is led by a team proficient in the hydrogen sector. The company is dedicated to investing in and advocating for hydrogen technologies and low-carbon solutions, mainly around hydrogen generation and refuelling, energy storage, and decarbonisation of transportation.
Lanxing New Energy promotes research and development efforts in the hydrogen energy sector, the production of hydrogen equipment including generation, compression, storage, and fuel cell technologies, as well as the development of hydrogen projects within the ASEAN region and China.
About Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise (SE) is Scotland’s national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It supports businesses to innovate and scale to transform the Scottish economy by focusing on new market opportunities through targeted investment, innovation, and internationalisation. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
A consortium of four Scottish renewable and maritime companies have been awarded a UK Government Department for Transport grant of over £535,000 to develop an innovative UK-first approach that will use clean, green hydrogen energy to reduce carbon emissions from vessels when berthed in port.
Supported by Forth Ports, the highly innovative trial will see the large tugs operating out of The Port of Leith powered by green hydrogen when tied up. The green hydrogen will be produced from treated wastewater from a nearby water treatment works, without compromising local water supplies.
The year-long trial, run by partners Forth Ports, Waterwhelm, Logan Energy and PlusZero, will deliver a state-of-the-art demonstrator system for green hydrogen shore power which marine vessels can use when they are berthed, removing the need for the diesel-powered systems which are currently in use on some quaysides.
The project draws together leading Scottish innovation and technology with sustainability expertise from the water, energy and transport sectors, and will be the first of its kind to be demonstrated at a UK port – leading the way for a circular economy approach to port decarbonisation across the country. The project will act as a precursor to the deployment of green hydrogen in shore power supply to large ships and vessels, addressing an important challenge in decarbonising the maritime industry, particularly in remote locations or areas where a connection to the main electricity grid is not available.
Alasdair Smith, Commercial Director of Targe Towing, part of the Forth Ports group, said:
“This is an exciting project for Forth Ports and Targe Towing as we work towards our commitment to reduce carbon emissions across Forth Ports group operations by 2032, and becoming net zero by 2042.
Our tug fleet currently uses diesel-powered generators to provide electricity when tied up in port. This new green hydrogen system shows how tugs or other vessels can be completely emission-free whilst berthed.
The project will also serve to widen our knowledge and experience of working with hydrogen, which provides a foundation for future endeavours towards a net zero future. We look forward to starting this project with our partners in the Spring.”
Using specialist water treatment technology provided by Waterwhelm, fresh re-use water will be made from wastewater from the treatment works site in Seafield, Edinburgh, which will then be used to produce hydrogen at Leith Port.
Waterwhelm’s leading technology enables water re-use and desalination processes to operate at significantly lower pressure, providing lower maintenance benefits as well as a world-beating reduction in electricity consumption and carbon emissions.
Dr Richard Wood, Research and Developer Manager and Engineer from Waterwhelm said:
“Following a successful feasibility study, we are delighted to be partnering with Forth Ports, Logan Energy and PlusZero to deliver a combined state-of-the-art demonstrator system at the Port of Leith for the production, storage and utilisation of green hydrogen to supply green shore power.
Waterwhelm’s system will utilise waste heat and wastewater to produce re-use water for electrolysis – a new, innovative approach which is much needed to support the drive towards decarbonisation whilst reducing the upcoming demand on local water networks.”
Green hydrogen specialist partners Logan Energy and PlusZero will apply their expertise to bring the clean power solution to the port – a significant collaboration that highlights major strides in Scottish hydrogen innovation.
Using a process known as electrolysis, East Lothian-based Logan Energy’s electrolyser technology will split the re-use water into oxygen and hydrogen.
The hydrogen will then be used as a clean fuel for PlusZero’s combustion engine which will generate green electricity to provide shore power for the tug boats when they are in port, replacing the need for polluting diesel generators.
Bill Ireland, Chief Executive Officer of Logan Energy said:
“Hydrogen-based solutions can play a pivotal role in decarbonisation and achieving net-zero targets both in the UK and globally. We’re honoured to be part of this consortium that can develop one such application where our innovative solutions can benefit UK industry.
“Logan Energy’s fully integrated system approach will take green energy and Waterwhelm’s clean water supply and produce, compress, and store hydrogen for the purpose of powering PlusZero’s equipment, without producing any emissions. This will be a key demonstration within the marine sector that can be easily replicated elsewhere.”
David Amos, Managing Director at PlusZero said:
“There is a huge amount of momentum behind hydrogen as an accelerator to the global energy transition. PlusZero’s ready-to-go clean power solution replaces the need for polluting diesel generators across multiple sectors of the economy – construction, events and production, and the industrial sectors.
“We are delighted to be demonstrating the true promise of this technology alongside our partners and Forth Ports, a company which is already leading the way in making Scotland’s renewables future a reality.”
The project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC4 is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206m initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector.
The UK Government Department for Transport Maritime Minister Lord Davies said:
“Unlocking a sustainable maritime sector and the economic growth it provides relies on cutting edge technology to propel it to the next level. The voyage to sustainability demands bold investments to not just deliver greener shipping but highly skilled jobs across the UK.
“Transformative solutions can help shape the future landscape of the maritime industry and support jobs in coastal communities.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- An image can be downloaded here and shows the Craigleith tug at the Port of Leith, which will use clean, green hydrogen power when berthed in port.
- Media enquiries
- For media enquiries relating to Forth Ports and Targe Towing, please contact Debbie Johnston – 07532 183811 / debbie@sprengthomson.com.
- For media enquiries relating to PlusZero, please contact Clare Slipper – 07908781331 / clare@messagematters.co.uk.
- For media enquiries relating to Logan Energy, please contact Paul Gill – 0131 385 0853 or paul@loganenergy.com.
- For media enquiries relating to Waterwhelm, please contact Dr Richard Wood – 07554295184 / richard@waterwhelm.com.
About UK SHORE programme
In March 2022, the UK Government announced the biggest government investment ever in our UK commercial maritime sector, allocating £206m to UK SHORE, a new programme within the Department for Transport focused on decarbonising the maritime sector. UK SHORE is delivering a suite of interventions throughout 2022-2025 aimed at accelerating the design, manufacture and operation of UK-made clean maritime technologies and unlocking an industry-led transition to Net Zero.
The UK SHORE programme includes the flagship multi-year Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) which provides match-funding to help bring pre-commercial technologies closer to market readiness. CMDC4 allocated £33m to 33 projects across the UK to deliver demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies between April 2024 – March 2025. The projects are supported by over 120 partners and will leverage more than £16m of private investment.
CMDC4 follows the successful first three rounds of the CMDC, which allocated over £95m to 105 projects. CMDC1 was launched in 2021, prior to UK SHORE.
About Forth Ports
Forth Ports Limited owns and operates eight commercial ports in the UK – Tilbury on the Thames, Dundee on the Firth of Tay and six on the Firth of Forth – Leith, Grangemouth, Rosyth, Methil, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy.
Within and around the Firths of Forth and Tay, Forth Ports manages and operates an area of 280 square miles of navigable waters, including two specialised marine terminals for oil and gas export and provides other marine services, such as towage and conservancy.
*Forth Ports is part of consortia behind the Thames Freeport and Forth Green Freeport, which are seeking to accelerate the growth of the Net Zero economy. The latter was successfully shortlisted by the Scottish and UK Governments in January 2023. The proposals are targeting clean growth, high-value manufacturing and processing across a number of the Group’s assets including the ports of Burntisland, Leith, Grangemouth and Rosyth among other industrial locations along the Forth Estuary. For more information go to www.forthgreenfreeport.com
@forthports
About Targe Towing
Targe Towing operates tugs out of ports on the East of Scotland, providing dedicated towage to Aberdeen, Dundee, Montrose and Peterhead. On the Firth of Forth, Targe Towing operates tugs at the Hound Point marine terminal, the Braefoot gas terminal and in the ports of Leith, Rosyth and Grangemouth, often undertaking specialist towage projects, with tugs regularly working in ports across the UK.
About Waterwhelm
Waterwhelm is a company based at a wastewater treatment works site in Edinburgh. Their technology provides a circular economy approach to freshwater production by using waste heat and wastewater. The product water can then be used by the site in its treatment process.
This reduces dependency on local water networks, and gives greater water availability to the local community in times of climate change uncertainty and water scarcity. It offsets the carbon emissions associated with producing and supplying freshwater to the site, maximises supplied water resources, increases site self-sufficiency, and reduces operational costs.
Through CMDC4, this approach will now be applied to the Port of Leith, where Waterwhelm will supply re-use water for hydrogen production. This highly efficient use of waste resources will lead the way to decarbonisation at ports whilst also serving as a blueprint for interconnectivity of the hydrogen industry and the water industry across the UK.
About Logan Energy
Logan Energy has over 25 years’ experience and a proven track record in delivering projects and solutions in the low carbon, renewable energy, and hydrogen sectors. Based in Scotland and the Netherlands, we specialise in the delivery of integrated engineering solutions incorporating hydrogen technologies, including hydrogen production, refuelling, storage, distribution, and stationary, mobile, and on-vehicle fuel cell electricity and heat generation.
We offer a full turnkey service from project inception & feasibility, design development, manufacturing, installation, and operation and maintenance.
We have not only undertaken options appraisals and feasibility studies to identify viable solutions for both cost-effective hydrogen production and use but have then deployed these proposals, which has provided invaluable feedback into the design and feasibility process.
We are manufacturer independent and able to analyse and select any appropriate equipment based on our proven experience in delivering hydrogen energy and technology projects. Operating from our Wallyford base in the UK, we have a growing team of qualified engineers and experienced commercial professionals who are used to delivering optimally sized hydrogen systems to maximise future return on investment. We can rely on a trusted network of suppliers of proven equipment, which allows us to design, procure, and offer reliable integrated systems.
Logan Energy – delivering innovation and integration in all things hydrogen.
About PlusZero Ltd
PlusZero is transforming the clean energy sector – the driver for new economic growth worldwide. Its Green Hydrogen from the Western Isles provides a carbon-zero, pollution-free source of fuel for the 21st century.
PlusZero Energy uses surplus electricity produced by local renewable wind power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using a process called electrolysis. This captures renewable energy that would otherwise be lost (as the sun doesn’t always shine or wind always blow) – unlocking the full promise of renewable energy.
PlusZero Power then uses this Green Hydrogen to fuel hydrogen combustion engines, giving customers clean power wherever they need it. PlusZero Power has been powering outdoor events since early 2021 and is increasing its hydrogen generator range to meet the varied demand for clean portable power in the events, outdoor filming, construction and industrial sectors.
The company’s expert team and extensive networks of hydrogen and engineering specialists give it unparalleled insight into fast-evolving hydrogen technologies. Collaboration is central to PlusZero’s strategic approach. It works together with public sector, community, and business partners in the Western Isles, the UK, and beyond to secure direct community and environmental benefits – above all, clean energy.
PlusZero – a community-based solution for a global market.
@PlusZeroEnergy