The "Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components" (PEM) Chair at RWTH Aachen University is developing a digital platform in the "HyConnect" research project to better utilize the hydrogen infrastructure in the logistics sector. The project is scheduled for two and a half years and is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The aim is to create a scalable solution for the EU internal market. The platform is to digitally map the reservation of gas station capacities, payment processing, and hydrogen pricing, and to combine data from truck fleet operators with information from gas station operators.
"The sparse infrastructure and low storage capacities of hydrogen gas stations can necessitate time-consuming and costly detours for logistics companies," says PEM head Professor Achim Kampker. At the same time, the low number of hydrogen trucks leads to uncertainties among gas station operators, which are reflected in high prices.
According to project manager Maximilian Bayerlein, "HyConnect" aims to address these issues through efficient data exchange between IT systems. So far, such solutions have mostly been developed individually and at high cost.
During the project, an AI-based universal data interface will be developed and evaluated as a prototype. Based on this, a platform for capacity management and reservation will be created and transitioned into pilot operation.
Another focus is on examining price elasticity and its impact on the selection of gas stations, planning, and cost transparency. In the long term, the platform is intended to help increase the market share of hydrogen trucks and facilitate investments in infrastructure by reducing risks for operators and users.
The PEM Chair was founded in 2014 by Professor Achim Kampker, one of the co-developers of the StreetScooter. The institute conducts research on hydrogen technologies for heavy-duty vehicles, among other things, and is active in several innovation clusters.
