Steve Hicks, Technical Project Manager at Pearce Hire, shares key insights from the successful integration of green hydrogen power at Big Church Festival in partnership with GeoPura. As the festival’s trusted power partner since 2009, Pearce Hire has consistently championed efficiency and emissions reduction through the use of HVO fuel, battery storage, and advanced monitoring. In 2024, they took the next step towards zero-emission energy by partnering with GeoPura. This vision became a reality, with green hydrogen power successfully integrated in 2024 and expanded in 2025, setting a new benchmark for sustainable large-scale live events >>
“In 2024, Pearce Hire reached a major milestone in its sustainability journey by powering the main stage at Big Church Festival entirely with green hydrogen for the first time. It was a bold step that replaced diesel generation and eliminated harmful emissions, leaving only water as a by-product. The move marked a turning point, proving that large-scale, live event power could be delivered cleanly, reliably, and without compromise.
Building on that success, the team took things even further in 2025. By increasing hydrogen capacity to 1.25MW, Pearce Hire was able to power an even greater area of the festival site, delivering more zero-emission electricity than ever before. The project also marked the first live deployment of GeoPura’s new HPU2 unit, which brought improved efficiency and scalability to the operation. This expansion resulted in a 27.28% reduction in HVO fuel use compared to the previous year and an impressive 48.39% cut since 2022, despite the festival continuing to grow in both footprint and attendance.
Achieving these results took careful planning and collaboration. Pearce Hire worked closely with GeoPura to integrate hydrogen into its existing hybrid power network, combining battery storage, HVO generation, and real time power monitoring to deliver a balanced and resilient supply across multiple stages and infrastructure zones. The hydrogen units supplied clean electricity quietly and consistently throughout the weekend, while live data tracking helped the team fine-tune performance and minimise fuel use elsewhere on site.
Introducing a new technology into a live event of this scale came with its challenges. Hydrogen required new logistics for storage, transport, and refuelling, as well as additional safety measures and training for on-site crews. But the learning curve was invaluable. The project demonstrated that early integration into the event design process is key to maximising efficiency. It also proved how data driven energy management can unlock further savings, showing that hydrogen and HVO can work side by side during the industry’s transition away from fossil fuels.
The results speak for themselves. Since the festival’s peak fuel use in 2022, overall HVO consumption has been cut by nearly half, while the use of hydrogen power continues to expand year on year. Alongside quieter, cleaner air and reduced emissions, Big Church Festival now stands as a showcase for what sustainable event production can achieve. For Pearce Hire, it’s not just about powering one of the UK’s largest Christian music gatherings, it’s about leading the shift toward a cleaner, more resilient future for live events.”
To learn more about Pearce Hire, click here.
This article originally appeared in our November 2025 Vision for Sustainable Events newsletter. Sign up to receive monthly event sustainability news, case studies and guest blogs direct to your inbox.