Hardly any crowds at the entrance, plenty of seating available in the halls, and even at closing time, one could quickly reach the exit: This year, there was rarely any hustle and bustle in the halls of the Hannover Messe. Approximately 110,000 visitors attended this year, compared to 127,000 last year. The unusual calm was also noticeable at the Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Europe, which was placed in Hall 11 this time, a good distance further from the west entrance than in previous years. Those who allowed themselves a random detour from the train station often ended up lingering at the robots in Entrance Hall 13.
There was indeed something to see and learn at the companies and research institutions on the hydrogen floor. The situation is currently developing quite positively, for example, at SFC Energy. The manufacturer of autonomous fuel cell solutions is hardly affected by the current economic environment; on the contrary. Where decentralized energy solutions were once used only to bridge hours, now several days are being considered. Here, hydrogen scores over batteries because the entire system does not need to be multiplied, only additional gas bottles need to be added. It can be said that SFC Energy has occupied a niche early on and seized the opportunity to expand it with the acquisition of Ballard's business in Scandinavia, including the Efoy product line, in 2024 – apparently at the right time.
At other stands, the focus was on the usual developments of a maturing industry. Research institutes like Fraunhofer and DLR, for example, promote their services and test facilities, many of which are now tailored directly to the hydrogen sector. For example, at the Fraunhofer stands: Those developing membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) can have their production tested at the Fraunhofer ISE in the new technical center. In contrast, Fraunhofer IWES develops practical test protocols for hydrogen systems, and at Fraunhofer LBF, they examine how mobile fuel cell systems behave under vibrations – and where material savings could still be made.
Cell Voltage Monitoring (CVM), i.e., monitoring cell voltage in fuel cell and electrolysis systems, remains a constant topic for the industry. Mütec and Dilico are two providers who presented their solutions for more modularity in Hannover (more on Cell Voltage Monitoring will be available in issue 3 of H2international).
The most spectacular piece of new hardware on the hydrogen floor was probably the BSZ375 from Cellcentric – the new fuel cell unit for hydrogen trucks. To duly celebrate the new product after three years of development, the company rented the hydrogen stage on the first evening of the fair. The BSZ375 is the make-or-break generation for Cellcentric. It is the first single module intended to replace a diesel engine in heavy-duty trucks over long distances. For this, Cellcentric has increased the performance and efficiency while simultaneously reducing the cooling load. If the new module proves itself in test operations and hydrogen refueling stations are established on the crucial long-distance routes, and then hydrogen becomes available – this could give the technology the necessary boost. The window for this is getting tighter, as China has also committed to advancing hydrogen as a fuel for heavy-duty trucks over long distances.
