Head of the State Chancellery Dirk Schrödter inaugurates the “H2Hub Neumünster” and gives the starting signal for the environmentally friendly refuelling of trucks and cars.
The first hydrogen refuelling station specially optimised for heavy-duty commercial vehicles was officially opened today in Neumünster in the presence of Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister and Head of the State Chancellery, Dirk Schrödter. With its suitability to accommodate semi-trailers and articulated trucks as well as its high capacity of 2,000 kg of hydrogen refuelling per day at two 350 bar and one 700 bar dispenser and its geographical location on the BAB 7 motorway, this hydrogen filling station operated by Hypion is the first AFIR-compliant (AFIR – Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation) hydrogen filling station in Europe. The hydrogen filling station at Donaubogen 4, located in the logistics hub of Neumünster, is ready for refuelling trucks and cars with immediate effect.
For Schleswig-Holstein, this step marks an important milestone in the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. “I am delighted that Schleswig-Holstein is actively driving the urgently needed decarbonisation of the transport sector forward. The construction of a hydrogen refuelling station of this size represents a technological innovation and also creates essential infrastructure for road freight transport, both regionally and nationally. Above all, this strengthens Schleswig-Holstein as a business location, but also opens up more diverse options for private individuals to use green hydrogen as an environmentally friendly means of transport,” said Dirk Schrödter, Head of the State Chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein.
This opening also marks the achievement of an important goal for Hypion as the responsible operating company, as Managing Director Dr Stefan Rehm emphasises: “The hydrogen filling station that has now been opened is an example of consistent and targeted implementation of a hydrogen project and the decisive building block for the H2Hub Neumünster, which was founded in 2020. It was here where pioneers of emission-free heavy-duty commercial vehicle transport came together at an early stage to work together to create economically viable solutions for emission-free road freight transport.”
There is now a high level of commitment between the filling station operator and the local fleet operatorsm which include Herbert Voigt, F. A. Kruse Jun., Edeka Nord, Netto Marken-Discount and Ernst Krebs, who have been committed to the project from the outset.
EDF Deutschland (Electricité de France) and HanseWerk were the pioneers and investors who drove the project forward and made it possible. Matthias Boxberger, CEO of HanseWerk AG, adds: “Neumünster is traditionally a logistics hub in the centre of the state. We have ideal conditions here to actively promote the green hydrogen economy in the north. I am delighted that we are now setting this milestone for the mobility transition and can offer local companies a sustainable solution for the provision of emission-free heavy-duty commercial transport.”
Beatrice Buffon, Group Executive Director in charge of international Management, EDF International SAS, emphasises: “The launch of operations at the new facility in Neumünster is an important step towards actively driving forward the decarbonisation of key economic sectors. With its location in the Scan-Med corridor, the Neumünster project also has an impact at a European level.”
“The entire realisation of this project was made possible thanks to the close cooperation between our reliable partners and investors. Only by working closely with companies from a wide range of sectors can we tackle the major challenges posed by the energy and mobility transition,” summarised Rehm in his concluding remarks. The H2-HubNMS project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport with a total of 4,891,320 euros as part of the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The funding programme is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
Source of original announcement and image: Hypion GmbH