Best Practice

Cellcentric has unveiled its next-generation fuel cell system, the BZA375. Delivering up to 375 kW of net power from a single-system package, it is designed, according to the company, for heavy-duty trucks and comparable applications.

Toyota intends to join the fuel cell joint venture Cellcentric as an equal shareholder. Daimler Truck, Volvo, Cellcentric and Toyota have signed a non-binding agreement to this effect. The goal is the joint development and production of fuel cell systems for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

A European consortium coordinated by the Finnish research center VTT is developing the first European PEM fuel cell system in the megawatt range for shipping in the MiNaMi project. The German company Allengra contributes sensors for hydrogen flow measurement.

The Swiss company Infener wants to promote hydrogen throughout Europe. Decentralized H₂ hubs will be used to generate green electricity as well as green heat. The Ecore One is a compact containerized solution that combines various energy technologies in one unit: electrolyzer, fuel cell and battery as well as compressor and a heat pump with its own energy management system or EMS. H₂ production is due to start 2027 at a site in the Black Forest, Germany. However, the needs of regional industry are already far greater today.

The company HPS Home Power Solutions has unveiled a new generation of its seasonal energy storage system. The Picea 2 now uses lithium batteries, which makes installation in the home easier due to the lower weight. With twice the power, the appliance is also equipped for e-mobility and heat pumps.

Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK) has received funding approvals totaling 29.5 million euros for its Green Mobility Depot in Bergisch Gladbach. The project includes a hydrogen refueling station with its own electrolyser. The hydrogen unit is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.

The municipality of Bosbüll in North Frisia is expanding its district heating network. In the future, process heat from local hydrogen production will also be fed into the system. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2025.

Green hydrogen is an important building block of the energy transition. With its help, regenerative energy can be stored and used as needed in a wide variety of sectors. But how will the generation, storage, distribution and use of hydrogen come together? An answer to this question is the goal of the project H₂VL of the regional district (Landkreis) Havelland: Various local players along the entire hydrogen value chain are being identified, networked and supported in the implementation of their projects – from production through distribution to use. For this, Havelland is being supported by the German transport ministry, through the hydrogen and fuel cell innovation support program NIP2, with nearly 400,000 euros as one of the 15 winners of the title HyExpert Region.

Green hydrogen is a key building block for the decarbonization and resilience of the European energy system. At the same time, it strengthens Europe’s strategic independence in an increasingly volatile global energy market. However, building a strong European value chain and ensuring a balanced competitive environment requires clear regulations that govern the market access of subsidized Chinese suppliers, as well as realistic RFNBO criteria.

The VDMA opposes a weakening of climate targets. Managing Director Thilo Brodtmann instead calls for better research funding for climate protection technologies. The mechanical and plant engineering sector sees itself as a key supplier – also with Power-to-X solutions.

Delta, MODEC and Eld Energy plan to pilot a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system on a floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) by 2027. According to the companies, this would mark the first offshore deployment of SOFC technology—with potential land-based applications to follow.

In emerging and developing countries, but also in crisis areas, there are many opportunities to use hydrogen to overcome energy poverty and establish a reliable, CO₂-neutral power supply. In this context, hydrogen-based microgrids have a decisive role to play. In this form, hydrogen-producing electrolyzers, cylinder racks for hydrogen storage and fuel cell systems for reconversion into electricity can be accommodated in the space of a shipping container. Together, they help to conserve renewable energy for later use.

An important but often neglected area of application for H₂ technology is the uninterrupted supply of power. To prevent flickering lights and even more so blackouts, so-termed UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems are indispensable. In the best-case scenario, when the network is stable, they will not be used, but their presence is nevertheless of central importance. H2-international spoke about this to Benedikt Eska and Christian Leu, the managing directors of Axiosus Energy GmbH, as well as about the company itself and the technology platform Clean Power Net (CPN).