H2 in Logistics

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.

GP Joule and Keyou have entered into a strategic partnership to advance zero-emission hydrogen mobility in the heavy-duty transport sector. The cooperation includes both the provision of H2 trucks and the expansion of refueling infrastructure.

The ITM Power subsidiary Hydropulse and the project developer Eternal Power have entered into a strategic partnership. The goal is to supply industrial customers in Germany with green hydrogen starting in summer 2025 – without upfront investments.

Four companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Global Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam to establish a hydrogen corridor for truck transport across Europe.

At a container terminal in Hamburg, a test field for heavy-duty vehicles with hydrogen drives is being built. The first tractor unit is now in use.

Current state of development and prospects

According to European Union guidelines, carbon dioxide emissions from heavy-duty vehicles will need to be cut by 30 percent by the year 2030 in order to ensure emissions reductions are on track to meet the EU’s 2050 net-zero target. This would mean that around 200,000 emission-free trucks would have to be operating on Europe's roads by 2030. That’s the finding of a recent study carried out by the association of German engineers VDI and the testing and certification institute VDE entitled “Sustainable commercial vehicles – a comparison of different technology pathways for carbon-neutral and carbon-free propulsion.” It found marked advantages for the use of fuel cell power systems for long-distance transportation using large commercial vehicles while battery-electric powertrains were seen as clearly beneficial for small commercial vehicles.

Powered industrial trucks are available with diesel, liquid gas and electric drives. For some years now, in addition to rechargeable batteries for electric forklifts and palette jacks, there has also been the possibility of using a hydrogen tank together with a fuel cell. This has been done a...