Hydrogen for heavy-duty transport

Hydrogen drives are a key technology in the energy transition. For heavy commercial vehicles that regularly travel long distances, hydrogen drives and battery-electric drives are an important step towards decarbonization. To achieve this goal, the fuel cell must now be industrialized, the development of the hydrogen engine accelerated and the construction of the hydrogen filling station network intensified.

In order to master the energy transition, we must be able to store and transform renewable energy efficiently. Fossil hydrocarbons must be gradually replaced by renewable alternatives. Hydrogen (H₂) can be produced cleanly from renewable energies and can be stored in large quantities. Hydrogen makes it possible to separate energy production and energy use spatially and temporally; the requirements for this are set out in the 37th Federal Emissions Ordinance. Hydrogen is not only used as an energy source in transport, but can also be used in other industrial sectors and in heat generation - especially via combined heat and power plants and in heating networks.

Hydrogen is an indispensable storage medium for volatile renewable electricity and an enabler for sector coupling, because hydrogen is needed in industry, in the heating and energy sectors, and in the transport sector. But it is also a fact that the production of green hydrogen from renewable electricity is still in its infancy. For an ambitious ramp-up of the hydrogen economy and a successful energy transition, we need color diversity (see next paragraph) and technological openness.

Keyword: technological openness: The German automotive industry is banking on competition between technologies - battery-electric drives and those with hydrogen will play a decisive role. In addition, there are renewable and CO₂-neutral fuels that can defossilize existing heavy commercial vehicles.

The federal government's long-term goal is to achieve a reliable supply of green, long-term sustainable hydrogen for Germany. The National Hydrogen Strategy, revised in July 2023, states:

"Direct financial support for hydrogen production is limited to the production of green hydrogen. In order to ensure a rapid development and ramp-up of the hydrogen market and to meet the expected needs, especially in the transformation phase, and thus enable the technological switch to hydrogen, other colors of hydrogen will also be used, at least until sufficient green hydrogen is available, in particular low-carbon hydrogen from waste or natural gas in conjunction with CCS. We also want to promote the use of green and, where necessary in the market ramp-up phase, low-carbon blue, turquoise and orange hydrogen on the application side to a limited extent, taking into account ambitious GHG limits, including emissions from the upstream chain and maintaining the legal goal of climate neutrality."

In order to achieve the CO₂ targets in road traffic, almost all commercial vehicle manufacturers are relying on battery-electric and hydrogen-based mobility in the coming years. The fuel cell and the hydrogen engine are in the focus of the commercial vehicle industry, because fuel cells or hydrogen engines enable long distances to be covered safely with short stops for refueling. Hydrogen drive will play an important role, especially in automotive applications that have so far been covered by combustion engines only. This is particularly true in heavy goods traffic or in regions with insufficiently developed charging infrastructure.

In the passenger car sector, various series vehicles are on the roads. In the commercial vehicle segment, the city bus stands out in particular. Several major cities are currently proving that hydrogen as a fuel for local public transport is a climate-friendly solution for the high levels of particulate matter, exhaust gases and noise that often occur in metropolitan areas. Hydrogen-powered trucks and tractor units will gradually come onto the market in the second half of this decade. However, the lack of H₂ tank infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles and the high costs of green hydrogen remain a challenge.

The hydrogen filling station network in Germany has grown only slowly in recent years and shows large gaps in the route network of traditional road freight transport. In the medium and long term, work must be done on a dense Europe-wide H₂ filling station network that takes cars and trucks into account equally and provides liquid H₂ in addition to compressed hydrogen. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) defines the framework for development across Europe by 2030. But more must be done beyond that. This requires strengthening joint European initiatives such as "H₂ Mobility Europe."

However, hydrogen is not only important in the transport sector, but also in the energy, industry and electricity sectors, for example in high-temperature processes in factories and the production of green steel. It is therefore crucial that the hydrogen economy is ramped up as quickly as possible. In addition to setting up the hydrogen core network, this also includes accelerating planning and approval procedures (especially for domestic production), adopting a certification mechanism for green hydrogen and long-term and diversified energy partnerships to cover import needs. Germany will import the majority of its hydrogen needs in the coming years, which is why the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy should at least be thought of on a European scale.