Hydrogen fuel station to enable vehicle testing at Port of Hamburg

Hydrogen fuel station

A new hydrogen fuel station at the Port of Hamburg will be used to test hydrogen-powered heavy goods vehicles and terminal equipment.

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has commissioned Linde Engineering to build the hydrogen fuel station within the scope of its Clean Port & Logistics innovation cluster as part of a test centre at the Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT).

It is expected to be operational later this year.

The heart of the station, Port of Hamburg said, is an energy-efficient high-pressure ionic compressor that compresses the hydrogen up to 450 bar. This will allow equipment such as straddle carriers, empty container stackers, forklift trucks, reach stackers, terminal tractor units and trucks to be refuelled with hydrogen efficiently.

“Our commissioning of Linde Engineering to build the hydrogen filling station is the next milestone for our hydrogen activities in the Clean Port & Logistics cluster,” said HHLA Hydrogen Network Head, Dr Georg Böttner.

“With the construction of the filling station, the required infrastructure is now being created to speed up the transition to emissions-free heavy goods logistics and port operations, and to drive forward the decarbonisation of logistics.”

HHLA established Clean Port & Logistics as an innovation cluster to test hydrogen-powered equipment in port logistics. The aim of the project is to examine how hydrogen can be used to reliably supply power to harbour technology and port logistics.

HHLA is working with partner companies from around the world to develop solutions to bring hydrogen-powered heavy goods vehicles and terminal equipment to market quickly and to put in place the measures necessary for their use.

The concepts developed for operation, safety, repair, maintenance, refuelling and supply are tested and optimised in practical operation.

Linde Engineering Executive Vice President Components, Dr Alexander Unterschütz, said: “We are delighted to support this forward-looking project with our technology. Efficient, and most importantly, safe refuelling of various hydrogen vehicles is essential for sustainable and seamless port operations.”

The cluster is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as part of a national innovation programme for hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The funding guidelines are coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich.

Last year, engineers in Melbourne, Australia, boosted green hydrogen production via acoustics.

Meanwhile, Western Australia opened its first renewable hydrogen refuelling station which can fill up hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles within five minutes.

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