Fueling the Future: How Unitrove Is Powering a Zero-Emission World
By: Kiki Shahida, KAP Sustainability Analyst
At COP26, Steven Lua (CEO of Unitrove Group) and his team at Unitrove made history by exhibiting the world's first liquid hydrogen bunkering facility. Their goal? To accelerate the transition to clean fuel by offering a flexible, scalable refuelling solution for hard-to-abate sectors like maritime, aviation, and other heavy-duty transport.
Unitrove's latest mobile innovation, the Zero Emission Multi-Fuel Station (ZEMFS) — capable of delivering liquid hydrogen, compressed hydrogen and electric charging — addresses one of the biggest bottlenecks in decarbonisation: infrastructure. By producing modular, transportable fuelling stations, they will enable early adoption, reduce costs and bring clean energy access to remote locations.
Steven's background is in engineering and cryogenic fuels, such as Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), developing low-carbon refuelling solutions for clients like Shell. In 2020, he pivoted to hydrogen, recognising its potential to push industries closer to net-zero.
Unitrove has already secured close to £1 million in grant funding from the Department for Transport facilitated by Innovate UK and Connected Places Catapult, backing major clean fuel infrastructure projects and feasibility studies for their own solutions. This track record reflects growing confidence in their vision and capability to deliver scalable, zero-emission solutions.
Unlike traditional fuel suppliers focused on large-scale industrial production, Unitrove is pioneering small-scale, mobile solutions that make clean fuel more widely accessible. Their significant work thus aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, prioritising equity, efficiency and innovation in every aspect of their technology.
When asked about the relevance of Artificial Intelligence in Unitrove's future development, Steven Lua and Leanne Bloor (Director at Energy Storage and Hydrogen Services) told KAP’s Kiki Shahida that AI might be used down the line to make the fuelling stations autonomous, or to improve maintenance procedures. That said, because AI is non-deterministic, Unitrove will need to overcome this challenge to implement AI for safety-critical applications.
We've been delighted to work closely with Steven and the Unitrove team since 2022, supporting their investment readiness and strategic partnerships. It's been exciting to be part of their journey so far and we look forward to continuing to support their growth in the UK and internationally. In fact, we are proud to be hosting Unitrove at our KAP Pavillion at Innovation Zero 2025 in May, alongside other talented and innovative companies.
A huge thank you to Steven Lua and Leanne Bloor for meeting with KAP's Kiki Shahida last week to discuss their work. Want to learn more? Reach out to the Kantar Advisory Partners (KAP) team or check out Unitrove's work here.
