Air Products Trials Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks and Announces Plans for European Hydrogen Refueling Network
July 30, 2024
Air Products, an industrial gases company, is planning to build a network of permanent, commercial-scale hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) strategically located along transportation corridors near the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) to help connect crucial locations across Europe and support the development of a safe and resilient hydrogen ecosystem.
Air Products' commercial-scale stations will deliver enhanced fueling technology, multiple pressure fueling options, and onsite liquid hydrogen storage to assist in liquid fueling. They will also help ensure reliability and convenience for heavy-duty transportation powered by hydrogen.
Air Products' HRSs will be supplied with renewable hydrogen from its global hydrogen supply chain network, providing a dependable energy supply to heavy-duty transportation. The company is building a second hydrogen liquefaction plant in Rotterdam, which, once operational, will double Europe's total liquid hydrogen capacity.
A number of current and planned stations have been awarded subsidies by the European Commission through their Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding program, which includes:
- HRSs in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Hurth Germany, which are currently in the commissioning phase
- An HRS located at the Volvo Group site in the port of Ghent, Belgium
- Europe's commercial-scale HRS with liquid hydrogen in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium
The company has also been awarded funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action, and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to build two high-capacity, publicly accessible HRSs in Meckenheim and Duisburg, Germany.
Air Products and Daimler Truck have partnered for a mobile fueling station in Duisburg for their pioneering hydrogen truck pilot project. As part of customer trials, five Mercedes-Benz GenH2 trucks will refuel at the station, enabling them to operate under real, heavy-duty fueling conditions. This will offer vital insights into the liquid hydrogen fueling interface and help inform the ongoing development of a future-ready hydrogen ecosystem.
"With thousands of trucks delivering industrial gases to our customers every day, logistics is an integral part of our business. Trialing a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck under real conditions is a critical step in our work to convert our distribution fleet to hydrogen-powered vehicles," said Seifi Ghasemi, President and CEO of Air Products.
Air Products is also trialing one of the GenH2 trucks as part of the project. The vehicle will be deployed in the company’s existing fleet to transport cylinder gases and gain experience in industrial gas transportation.
The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 trucks will be fueled with liquid hydrogen, which enables a range of over 1,000 km. In this aggregate state, the energy carrier has a higher energy density, and thus, more hydrogen can be carried, which increases the range and enables comparable performance of the vehicle with that of a conventional diesel truck.
Air Products intends to build a network of permanent, commercial-scale, multi-modal hydrogen refueling stations from Northern California to Southern California, US, and also between Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
