At the multi-fuel service area Hannover Airport in Langenhagen, H2 Mobility has commissioned a new hydrogen filling station. The location is in close proximity to Hannover-Langenhagen Airport as well as the A2 and A7 motorways, thus situated on the European TEN-T North Sea-Baltic corridor. The station is equipped with two dispensers and caters to both regional fleets and long-distance freight traffic.
Refueling at 350, 500, or 700 bar
The station supplies trucks, buses, and cars with green hydrogen that meets the EU criteria for RFNBO fuels (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin). The electricity required for water electrolysis comes exclusively from renewable energies. A full refueling is carried out depending on the vehicle type at 350, 500, or 700 bar and takes about five to ten minutes according to the operator. The station meets the requirements of the European AFIR regulation for the development of refueling infrastructure for alternative fuels.
Martin Jüngel, Managing Director and CFO of H2 Mobility, refers to the parallel IAA Transportation: "The IAA Transportation shows these days that the importance of hydrogen for the decarbonization of road freight transport has increased significantly over the past two years. The entire market, from vehicle manufacturers to energy producers, is working intensively on the ramp-up of e-mobility with hydrogen." With the new filling station, H2 Mobility creates the conditions for companies to use hydrogen-based vehicles with combustion engines or fuel cell drives in the region.
Funding by NIP2 and NextGenerationEU
The Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) is funding the hydrogen filling station with up to 5.831 million euros. The basis is the funding guideline "Measures for Market Activation" within the framework of the National Innovation Program Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Phase 2 (NIP2). Funding also flows through the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) from the NextGenerationEU program. NOW GmbH coordinates the guideline, and the Project Management Jülich (PtJ) implements it.
Johannes Daum, spokesperson and head of mobility technologies at NOW GmbH, classifies the location: "The new hydrogen filling station at Hannover-Langenhagen Airport shows how federal funding enables concrete applications. Where infrastructure is built and immediately used by companies, valuable practical experience for market ramp-up is created." Such locations become "crystallization points of functioning hydrogen value chains" and also contribute to meeting AFIR requirements.
Schreck + Batz Tests Fuel Cell Trucks in Real Operation
For the commissioning, the Langenhagen-based logistics company Schreck + Batz Logistics received a hydrogen truck for testing purposes. It is a Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell, provided by H2 Mobility in cooperation with the commercial vehicle rental company Hylane. In the coming weeks, the vehicle is to be used on routes around Hannover, which the company has previously served with diesel trucks. The use is planned for branch deliveries of a retail chain. Schreck + Batz provides transport and logistics services, among others, for the chemical and milk powder industries in the Hannover region.
Peter Röskes, managing partner of Schreck + Batz Logistics, says: "We have already tested battery and LNG trucks. Hydrogen is one of the promising drive options for us in heavy-duty transport. With the vehicle, we want to gain practical experience, enthuse drivers for this drive, and check how the use proves itself in our transport processes."
Other Vehicles Presented at the Location
At the press event, other freight companies came together that already use hydrogen in their fleets, including H2 Green Power & Logistics, WTK Stratmann, and Gettrans. They showcased the truck models Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell and MAN hTGX, which operate on routes between North Rhine-Westphalia, Hannover, and Magdeburg. The range was complemented by the fuel cell bus Wrightbus Kite Hydroliner FCEV as well as the fuel cell cars BMW iX5 Hydrogen and the new Hyundai Nexo.
