Protium’s 100 Green Hydrogen Deliveries Signal Major Progress in UK Hydrogen Production
Protium has completed 100 green hydrogen deliveries from its South Wales facility, signaling UK progress in hydrogen production. Backed by AVEVA and £31M in funding, a second site with a 2.5MW electrolyser will launch in 2025.
Green hydrogen just hit a major milestone in the UK. Protium, one of the country’s front-runners in clean energy innovation, has completed its first 100 commercial deliveries from its Pioneer 1 facility in Baglan, South Wales. It’s a big moment—not just for the company, but for the country’s journey to net zero.
A Big Step Forward for Green Hydrogen in the UK
Since launching operations in early 2023, Pioneer 1 has delivered 3,681 kilograms of zero-emission hydrogen to customers across the transport, construction, and events industries. Sure, that might seem small-scale on a global level, but here in the UK—where the hydrogen infrastructure is still finding its feet—it’s proof positive: local, clean hydrogen production can work in the real world.
So what’s behind the scenes? The hydrogen is generated using a 100kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser, developed by Enapter and integrated by Fuel Cell Systems Ltd., all running with support from the University of South Wales. It’s part of Protium’s bigger goal to clean up sectors that aren’t easy to electrify—and to anchor South Wales as a serious hub for zero-emission technology.
Teaming Up with AVEVA for Next-Level Efficiency
In a smart move, Protium also joined forces with AVEVA, a global leader in industrial digital solutions. This partnership is a game changer, bringing in real-time analytics, process optimization, and predictive maintenance to make hydrogen production more efficient and cost-effective as it scales.
With AVEVA’s digital tools in the mix, Protium can speed up how quickly new facilities come online, make sharper decisions on the fly, and provide traceable emissions data—something sustainability-minded clients demand more than ever.
Big Plans: A New 2.5MW Facility Coming in 2025
Backed with £31 million in Series B funding, Protium is gearing up to open a second site in South Wales by mid-2025. This one’s got serious muscle—a 2.5MW electrolyser, which will be a massive 25x step up in capacity from Pioneer 1. That’s not a trial run. That’s full-on commercial hydrogen production.
And the location tells its own story. Baglan Energy Park, once tied to coal and steel industries, is now becoming a symbol of how a region can reinvent itself around industrial decarbonization and green hydrogen. With the second facility on the way, South Wales is clearly carving out a spot at the heart of the UK’s growing hydrogen infrastructure.
Why This Milestone Matters
Hitting 100 deliveries isn’t just a bragging right—it’s a real-world signal that clean hydrogen can be scaled in a commercially viable way. Now that hydrogen is becoming easier to track, deploy, and rely on, companies in logistics, construction, and live events can meet tough carbon targets without breaking their workflow.
And let’s talk collaboration. The way Protium has brought together Enapter, AVEVA, Fuel Cell Systems Ltd., and the University of South Wales to turn research and tech into working infrastructure? That’s a playbook other projects across the UK can follow—and probably will.
The environmental impact’s nothing to sneeze at either. As scale ramps up, the operation could cut as much as 256,000 tons of CO₂ per year. Hitting numbers like that is essential if the UK’s going to stick to its Net Zero promise.
Protium: From Startup to Industry Powerhouse
What started as a startup with a mission to tackle carbon emissions head-on has quickly turned into a central player in the UK’s clean hydrogen game. While others are busy mapping out ideas on the drawing board, Protium is out there building, delivering, and proving what’s actually possible.
By focusing on local projects backed by cutting-edge tech, the company isn’t just building plants—it’s building a new kind of energy model, one that works for both big industries and regional economies.
Looking Ahead
With 100 real-world deliveries in the bag, green hydrogen is no longer a "someday" idea in the UK—it’s happening now. Thanks to digital tools from AVEVA and bold expansion plans already in motion, Protium is showing how the right mix of funding, innovation, and partnerships can unlock serious momentum.
The bottom line? Where electrification hits limits, hydrogen infrastructure can step in. And thanks to Protium, South Wales is rewriting its industrial story—this time with green energy at the center.
