Mobility

Ammonia produced from electrolysis-generated hydrogen is to become the green energy carrier and sustainable basic chemical of the future. The infrastructure for the import is being created at lightning speed. In Hamburg and Brunsbüttel, new terminals are to start operation in 2026.

The production of ammonia for the fertilizer industry is, according to the IEA (International Energy Agency), the second most important area of hydrogen utilization. We therefore presented some concrete projects for the production of green ammonia in the July 2021 issue of H2-international. But what about the user side? Up to now, ammonia has hardly played any role as an energy carrier, although it could become an important source of energy, especially in transport by ship. The compound has numerous advantages over other energy mediums. At the same time, however, there are still many technical and logistical challenges to be solved, which are being addressed by, among others, the research projects ShipFC and Campfire.

Daimler Buses will deliver ten fuel cell buses featuring a new, pure hydrogen drive mode to SSB Stuttgart. These vehicles are part of a strategy aimed at integrating various alternative drive systems within the fleet.

With the procurement of ten fuel cell buses, SSB concludes the trial phase of...

In the summer of 2025, the first hydrogen vehicles will compete against vehicles with conventional drive systems at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. To ensure that both fuel cells and combustion engines can be used there, Formula Student Austria, in cooperation with other race organizers, has published corresponding H₂ regulations that will enable student teams to design, build and race hydrogen-powered racing cars in the future.

Where East Germany’s famous Trabant cars were once made, H2 trucks will now exit cleanly from the production hall. This technological shift from two-stroke engines to fuel cell trucks won’t just benefit automotive service provider FES. Michael Kretschmer, minister president of the German state of Sachsen who witnessed the milestone on July 22, 2024, hopes the region as a whole will reap the rewards.

For the first time, a hydrogen-powered baggage tug is being used at Hamburg Airport. The converted vehicle is being tested under real-world conditions as part of the North German Living Lab – a potential path toward CO2-free airport mobility.

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has presented a draft law to accelerate hydrogen deployment. The aim is to simplify and speed up approval procedures for hydrogen infrastructure. Comments may be submitted until July 28, 2025.

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMV) has launched a new call for funding to support the conversion of bus fleets to alternative drive systems. Fuel cell buses and related infrastructure are also eligible for funding. Project outlines can be submitted until August 31.

The share of Cummins Engine brings joy: The share price rose to a new high for the year, after the company was able to settle a long-standing legal dispute – it was about non-compliance with emission standards for engines – with a penalty payment of 1.6 billion USD, and with that this chapter is...

The whole world is talking about the imminent end of combustion engines, on possible bans on oil and diesel combustion engines. But what about hydrogen motors, especially for stationary applications? In the German-speaking domain, companies such as 2G and Innio are particularly active in this sector. Globally, companies like Wärtsilä and MAN are also pushing for this technology route.

For some months now, more and more companies have been entering the market for H2 refueling stations. Although their total number still have not substantially increased, increasingly more well-established as well as numerous new providers are announcing their intentions of opening additional locations for the supply of hydrogen.

We have long discussed the question of what comes first when ramping up hydrogen mobility. But this chicken-and-egg problem doesn’t actually exist: The refueling station always comes first! Why this is so exemplifies the first hydrogen refueling station in Gießen.

For years, H2 Mobility has been working on the establishment and expansion of the infrastructure for hydrogen refueling stations. Despite the ambitiously set targets, the 100-station mark has still not been exceeded. Although more new H₂ refueling stations are being built and opened, old ones are being dismantled at the same rate. Six and a half years after its founding, H2 Mobility Deutschland executed a change of leadership in April 2023: Nikolas Iwan, who alone has managed the company since the beginning, moved to the advisory board, where he is to take over as chairman in the course of the year. Iwan was replaced by a team of three managing directors. H2-international talked to CCO and spokesman Lorenz Jung about the reasons for this restructuring as well as the further goals of the company.