Extreme H test new hydrogen power solution

The test, which took place at Siemens Energy’s UK facility in Newcastle, centred around the next-generation Hydrogen Power Unit (HPU2), developed by GeoPura, and included system integration with the series’ long-term sustainable power supplier, Power Logistics.

Andy Welch, Extreme H’s Global Hydrogen Development Manager, said: “Extreme H are also trialling hydrogen technologies across the whole event site in an effort to become the first sport to run entirely on zero emission hydrogen. We are proud to be working alongside clean power pioneers GeoPura and Power Logistics as we continue to scale our capabilities and showcase hydrogen’s potential. Witnessing the test of GeoPura’s HPU2 hydrogen fuel cell prototype marks a major step forward, not just for our series, but for the broader live events industry. Extreme H is an important global test bed for real-world hydrogen solutions, proving what is possible and accelerating the transition toward cleaner, more sustainable events worldwide.”

With a more compact footprint than its HPU1 predecessor, reduced weight, and significantly higher power density, the HPU2 delivers scalable, quiet, zero-emission power – up to 50 MW when deployed at scale. Each unit generates 500 kW of clean electricity, five times the prime output of HPU1. Operated continuously over 24 hours, a single HPU2 could provide enough energy to power the equivalent of 1200 average UK homes for a day.

With these advancements reducing deployment costs, zero-emission energy systems are becoming increasingly accessible not only across motorsport but also for other energy-intensive and time-sensitive applications such as music festivals, remote broadcast centres, and construction sites.

A defining feature of the HPU2 system’s environmental performance is its exclusive use of green hydrogen, which will be supplied by the championship’s Green Hydrogen Partner, ENOWA. Green hydrogen is produced using exclusively renewable energy sources, ensuring zero emissions not only during use, but also throughout the production process. This enables Extreme H’s ambition to set a new benchmark by powering their races, with power needs including live broadcast, race control and operations, team garages, catering, and more, with fully emission-free power, whilst supporting ENOWA’s mission to accelerate hydrogen’s role in the global energy transition.

By utilising the system in a live event environment, Extreme H is not only preparing for the future of zero-emission racing but also laying the groundwork for the broader industrial adoption of green hydrogen technologies.

The collaboration between GeoPura and Power Logistics, strengthened through this initiative, highlights the importance of technical partnerships in delivering real-world energy transitions that are set to transform wider industries, including live sporting and music events, remote broadcast, construction, and many more. The only emission from the HPU2 system is water.

Compared to its predecessor, the HPU1, which had an integrated battery system, the HPU2 introduces a modular configuration with an external battery.

This new setup enables greater flexibility, allowing the system to operate either as a standalone generator or in a hybrid format with supplementary battery support. The battery and distribution technology are key to this adaptability, ensuring that the system can meet diverse energy demands across complex environments.

Theo Elmer, GeoPura’s Chief Technical Officer, said: “HPU2 represents a major leap forward in clean, scalable power. It is lighter, more powerful, and more flexible than anything we have built before – designed specifically to deliver in high-demand, high-performance environments like Extreme H. We are proud to be working closely with Power Logistics and Extreme H to show what is possible with hydrogen technology. Together, we are proving that zero-emission power can meet the demands of live motorsport and beyond and helping accelerate the wider transition away from fossil fuels.”

Extreme H will provide a valuable proving ground for both GeoPura and Power Logistics, providing performance and operational insights that will guide deployments across industries seeking to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-based generators, without compromising on reliability or output.

The upgraded battery, created by Greener Power Solutions, fits Power Logistics’ specification and design recommendation and provides significantly upgraded features to further enable the use of the GeoPura fuel cell system. This includes dealing with increased fluctuating and sustained higher loads, multi-battery synchronisation, and the ability to work with larger sources of renewable energy generation. This is crucial given the power plan which also involves greater quantities of solar deployment.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/21052025/extreme-h-test-new-hydrogen-power-solution/