A PLANNING application to build the north west’s first hydrogen refuelling station at Ansa’a Cledford Lane hub has been lodged.

Ansa, along with King Street-based partner Storengy, is looking to introduce two ‘dual fuel’ bin lorries into its Cheshire East rounds ‘by early 2021’.

The project, hailed an ‘exciting first step’ in the council’s bid to become carbon neutral, relies on fuelling capabilities at the Middlewich site.

Lorries would, on completion of their collection routes, return to the environmental hub to be refilled with diesel and then hydrogen at the proposed new nearby refuelling area.

They would be powered by injecting both hydrogen and diesel into the internal combustion engine, with the hydrogen displacing up to 40 per cent of the diesel.

An alkaline electrolyser will be installed on site, using rainwater to cleanly generate and store hydrogen ready for use.

A planning statement said: “The project will deliver an improvement to air quality by reducing the amount of diesel consumed by the refuse vehicles converted for this trial."

The project is being funded by Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, Cheshire East Council, and Storengy UK.