Raytec Upgrades Lighting at Hydrogen Refuelling Bays

As hydrogen infrastructure continues to expand across the UK transport sector, the requirement for safe, reliable and energy efficient lighting within hazardous environments is becoming increasingly critical.

Hydrogen refuelling facilities operate in areas where explosive gases may be present, meaning all installed equipment must meet strict ATEX hazardous area certification standards while maintaining high levels of performance and reliability.

Raytec recently worked with its distributors, Thorne & Derrick, on a lighting upgrade project for a hydrogen refuelling client.

Challenge

• Hazardous Area Requirements: Hydrogen is widely recognised as a key fuel in the transition toward lower carbon transport, particularly for heavy goods vehicles and commercial fleets. However, it also presents significant safety challenges due to its extremely flammable properties. Classified as an IIC gas group under ATEX, hydrogen represents the most severe explosion risk category, requiring all electrical equipment to meet the highest levels of protection to prevent ignition.
• Limited Flexibility: Standard LED fittings typically offer limited flexibility in frame sizes, making it difficult to align with or adapt existing ceiling apertures. In this case, access to the site was particularly challenging as the refuelling station operates 24/7, limiting opportunities to fully survey the existing canopy and fittings. As a result, a solution was required that would guarantee a straightforward installation, avoiding repeated adjustments. This made a custom size fitting essential to ensure efficient installation and minimise operational disruption.

Solution

Thorne & Derrick specified the following Raytec products:

• x8 Custom SPARTAN Zone 1 Recess Modular
• x8 Associated mounting accessories

Raytec’s SPARTAN Recess luminaires addressed both the hazardous environment and installation challenges:

• Certified Protection: The SPARTAN Recess is designed specifically for hazardous area installations such as refuelling canopies, offshore accommodation modules and pharmaceutical clean rooms. Certified for Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust environments, and fully compliant with ATEX, IECEx and UKEX standards, the luminaire is suitable for installations where hydrogen or other IIC gases may be present. Its robust design ensures safe, reliable operation in hazardous areas.
• Bespoke Design: To overcome the limitations of standard fittings, Raytec supplied the SPARTAN Recess Modular luminaires with a custom frame size. This bespoke solution allowed installers to enlarge the existing ceiling aperture in a single pass, avoiding repeated adjustments. As a result, installation time was reduced, site disruption minimised, and overall project efficiency improved.

The new installation provides improved lighting levels, enhanced energy efficiency and fully compliant hazardous area protection.

Why SPARTAN Recess

A key factor in selecting Raytec was the ability to provide a bespoke solution through a custom frame size. With the refuelling station operating 24/7, any maintenance activity had the potential to disrupt operations, making it essential to complete the lighting upgrade in a single visit.

Due to limited access, the installer was unable to precisely measure the existing ceiling apertures. Instead, a larger, non-standard fitting was specified, allowing the aperture to be enlarged and the new luminaires installed in one operation.

Let’s explore other features that made the SPARTAN Recess a perfect fit:

• Lightweight design – up to 50% lighter than equivalent products, starting from just 5kg for easier handling and faster installation
• Multiple beam angles – 7 beam angle options available as standard, with additional optics available on request for precise light distribution
• Customisable frame sizes – tailored to suit non-standard apertures, ideal for retrofit and constrained installations
• High-performance output – delivers up to 7,400 lumens for powerful, uniform illumination in safety-critical areas
• Robust construction – IK10 rated with epoxy powder-coated aluminium housing for maximum durability in harsh environments
• Certified for hazardous areas – ATEX, UKEX & IECEx approved for both gas and dust applications
• Efficient installation – reduces installation time and minimises downtime on 24/7 operational sites

By combining flexibility, performance, and ease of installation, SPARTAN Recess provided a reliable and efficient lighting solution tailored to the operational challenges of the site.

Conclusion

As hydrogen continues to play an increasingly important role in the future of heavy transport, the safety and reliability of refuelling infrastructure will be paramount.

By combining the engineering performance and flexibility of Raytec’s range of luminaires with the technical expertise and responsiveness of Thorne & Derrick, this project demonstrates how specialist hazardous area lighting solutions can support the safe growth of hydrogen-powered transport.

About Thorne & Derrick

Thorne & Derrick are leaders in the development and distribution of product innovations that deliver significant improvements to client’s plant, people and operational safety in the explosive atmosphere industries.