FUEL OF THE FUTURE?
Deploying captive fleets close to HRS optimises hydrogen demand to create an efficient and cost-effective fuel for operators, however it will take time for the infrastructure network to spread organically.
Victor Lejona is a senior technical specialist at Cenex, an independent low emission transport consultancy and research organisation involved in real-world hydrogen transport trials across the UK and Europe, including ZEFER.
Filling a fuel cell electric vehicle with hydrogen gas is a broadly similar experience to filling a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle with diesel or petrol and takes place at a hydrogen refuelling station (HRS).
A typical passenger car FCEV operates with 5 kg of hydrogen on board at 700 bar (700 times atmospheric pressure); larger vehicles have more space available to store the fuel, and therefore generally use 350 bar storage which uses cheaper cylinders - for example a bus might store around 25kg of hydrogen in roof-mounted cylinders at 350 bar.
At a HRS, hydrogen is stored at 200 bar, then compressed to 900 bar and cooled to -40C for high pressure dispensing, filling a 5 kg tank in as little as five minutes - a useful perk for saving drivers time. HRS dispensers are superficially similar to those used for conventional fuels in that they have a nozzle and a trigger to release the hydrogen.
The processes involved, from hydrogen production, compression, storage, cooling, and dispensing, is complex and energy intensive, and is currently one of the main drawbacks of hydrogen fuel for transport.
HRS are relatively new and expensive, and therefore a few of them can be susceptible to breakdowns. Drivers often report pumps out of service and travelling long distances to find the next nearest station; data from ZEFER however shows that HRS are available 89.9% on average.
High mileage applications require regular access to hydrogen fuelling stations, of which there are only 12 across the UK including six in and around London.
The map of HRS across Europe is more optimistic, the majority of HRS in Germany, and Paris has plans for 20 new stations by 2024 to support taxi deployment, in addition to the three utilised by Hype as part of the ZEFER project.
Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME), along with other similar projects, has funded the installation of more than 30 HRS across Europe to date, and has committed to a target of 49 by the end of this year, to assist the transition to hydrogen for transport and develop a profitable business case.
MAY 2022
He said: “Hydrogen will suit sizeable cities with large taxi demand and where enough refuelling infrastructure is available. If the HRS are located in the right places, they can be very convenient for both the taxi fleet and the hydrogen provider.
“For example, the Hype fleet in Paris is operating 160 hydrogen taxis, and often refuel at the two main city airports which is extremely convenient for taxi drivers, as they can use their trips to pick up or drop off passengers at the airport without any ‘stem’ or ‘dead’ mileage.
“Over the next ten years both vehicles and infrastructure will still need to be heavily incentivised by national or EU governments, and joining forces with other local fleets, such as heavy vehicles or commercial vehicles, will allow the business case to flourish as prices will decrease from the high volumes of hydrogen dispensed.
“If we build the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and get serious about air quality and climate change, hydrogen- powered commercial transport could become a significant part of the world economy”.
Lightweight, quick to refuel and zero tailpipe emissions make hydrogen an ideal transport option for private hire and taxi vehicles, however the cost and availability of infrastructure remain barriers to widespread adoption.
Finding the right zero emission technology for the right application is essential in achieving the 2050 carbon targets and reducing transport’s emissions. For many, battery electric will be the way forward; for high mileage applications such as private hire and taxi vehicles it could be hydrogen.
The results from hydrogen vehicle trials across Europe highlight the benefits and impacts and tackle the barriers, and only by growing confidence in the technology can it integrate into our transport network in the future.
Learn more at:
https://www.cenex.co.uk/app/uploads/2021/05/Intro-to- hydrogen-1.pdf
Article by Declan Shepherd, Cenex
www.cenex.co.uk
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