Connecting the dots

Six ambitious and leading European operators of hydrogen refuelling stations have formed the H2 Infrastructure Alliance to accelerate the rollout of hydrogen mobility. The alliance stresses the importance for the availability of vehicle models. The goal is to align and speed-up infrastructure and vehicle deployment until 2028.

The Hydrogen Infrastructure Alliance (H2IA)

The alliance includes prominent members from various European member states – Hydri, TEAL-Mobility, Fountain Fuel, H2 MOBILITY, Virya Energy and HYmpulsion. These companies jointly operate 92 hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) for light- and heavy-duty fleets, with 39 more large-scale stations planned by 2028 – which will be enough to refuel over 1,800 trucks daily. The alliance has initiated conversations with leading vehicle manufacturers about accelerating hydrogen mobility.

Breaking the chicken – or egg dilemma

With an ambitious yet realistic pace, it will be possible to realize a connected network of stations that cover Europe. This is what the alliance refers to as ‘Connecting the Dots’, as illustrated on the attached map. By taking the lead and expanding the refuelling infrastructure first, it is possible to break through what is often described as the chicken-or-egg dilemma.

Refuelling infrastructure provides the vehicle manufacturers with confidence to ramp-up vehicle development and deployment efforts. Larger volumes of vehicles and a variety of models available, in turn, lead to a quicker growth of the refuelling network – and, most importantly, to a lower cost for end-users, both for vehicles and for hydrogen fuel.

Connecting the dots

The rollout of hydrogen vehicles and refuelling stations mirrors how the build-out of mobile infrastructure and networks fuelled the rapid rise of mobile phone use in the early 2000s. Transmission towers and good signal coverage led to a strong increase in mobile telephone use. In return, this led to the placement of more, and improved, transmission towers and ultimately to advancements such as the G5 networks. With high numbers of transmission towers, mobile phones and high utilizations rates the total costs of using the system decreased.

Hydrogen is alive & kicking

The potential for hydrogen vehicles is growing.

"Hydri aims to be the driving force that enables the heavy transport sector to break its dependence on fossil fuels. We are seeing strong interest from businesses to commit to hydrogen as a fuel, and with our network of refuelling stations we cover the most transport-intensive corridors in Sweden. This means hydrogen-powered vehicles can actually start operating on Swedish roads," says Kamilla Björkman, CEO of Hydri.

"HYmpulsion is a unique French model built on a strong public–private partnership driving the energy transition. Since 2017, we have developed a coherent and interconnected regional hydrogen network. Beyond building stations, we support the entire value chain — from industry to transport - to create a competitive and sustainable ecosystem. Through our integration into H2IA, we are now scaling this vision to a joint European effort for hydrogen mobility." says Florian Chevalier, Hympulsion President.

"Whilst investment decisions for large-scale hydrogen projects in The Netherlands are often postponed, we see growing demand for hydrogen in mobility. In addition to criteria such as load capacity and charging times, congestion on the electricity grid plays an important role. Many logistic companies are already reaching the limits of e-charging due to the aforementioned grid congestion. It seems unrealistic that this problem can be solved in time, making hydrogen refuelling a suitable solution. In addition, the ‘Subsidy Hydrogen in Mobility’ (SWiM) of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, ensures that logistic operators can purchase a hydrogen van or truck at the price of an electric vehicle. This combination is driving up demand for hydrogen models – and at the same time accelerating the rollout of hydrogen refueling stations in The Netherlands," says Stephan Bredewold, Managing Director at Fountain Fuel.

Stephan Windels, Managing Director Hydrogen Belgium, says "Virya Energy, through its brand DATS 24, will be building the next generation of hydrogen refuelling stations in Belgium, ready for heavy duty transport, before 2028. We believe large fleet operators can really benefit from a 'fill & ride' zero emission solution, alongside the battery electric solutions."

The potential for hydrogen vehicles is growing. "Our focus is on advancing the regulatory framework at the European level. Heavy-duty transport is a decisive driver of hydrogen mobility in Europe. We see this every day at our stations in Germany, where buses and trucks already account for well over 70 per cent of demand. It is essential that we continue on this path across Europe. The H2 Infrastructure Alliance sends an important signal in this respect: the development of a pan-European refuelling network is already well under way and now requires clear commitment from OEMs to increase vehicle numbers," explains Martin Jüngel, Managing Director and CFO of H2 MOBILITY.

Hydrogen is complementary to battery-electric

The members of the H2IA stress that battery-electric and hydrogen are complementary techniques. Both technologies are needed to meet diverse customer needs – from long-haul transport and flexibility requirements, to ‘exceptional’ transport and intensive operations [BK2] . Hydrogen is particularly important in regions where electric grid capacity constrains the deployment of fast-charging infrastructure.