Daimler, Linde and TOTAL have jointly opened Germany’s first hydrogen filling station on the autobahn. Other stations planned by end of 2015.
The new H2 filling pump at the TOTAL motorway service area in Geiselwind on the A3 between Würzburg and Nuremberg links the existing filling facilities in the metropolitan regions of Frankfurt/Main, Stuttgart and Munich with each other, forming a hub for electric fuel cell vehicles in southern Germany.
The construction of a nationwide hydrogen infrastructure in Germany is accompanied by the planned market ramp-up of fuel cell cars from various manufacturers. The Geiselwind site is part of the expansion plan launched in 2012 that will initially expand the German H2 network from its current 18 locations to 50.
“Networking the national H2 infrastructure is the key to success for the market introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells. Only then can they be a ‘real’ alternative for customers,” says Prof. Dr Herbert Kohler, Vice President Group Research and Sustainability and Chief Environmental Officer at Daimler AG. “That’s why we are not only actively investing in the development of the next generation of vehicles, but we are the only car manufacturer to invest in the development of a nationwide network of filling stations in Germany.”
With 50 hydrogen filling stations, nationwide mobility between metropolitan areas along the main roads will be possible throughout Germany. Within this expansion programme, the Daimler-Linde initiative is participating in a total of 20 new H2 stations with a total investment of approximately 20 million euros.
TOTAL has invested more than 250,000 euros in Geiselwind and shouldered all construction and approval costs, as well as the project management for installing the hydrogen technology, including service and maintenance components.
The project is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as part of its National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). The programme is managed by NOW GmbH (National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology).
