Handewitt, 24.06.2019 | Drivers of electric cars with fuel cells can refuel at more and more filling stations: H2 MOBILITY Deutschland and its shareholders Shell and Linde today jointly inaugurated a hydrogen filling station in Handewitt. It is the first in the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Dr Bernd Buchholz, Minister of Economics and Transport of Schleswig-Holstein, Dr Wolfgang Buschmann, District Administrator of Schleswig-Flensburg, and Simone Lange, Lord Mayor of the City of Flensburg, were present at the opening.
The nearly 60 members of Flensburg’s EES (Erneuerbare Energien und Speicher – Renewable Energies and Storage) association have actively championed the construction of the hydrogen filling station over the past few years.
Hydrogen is used to refuel electric vehicles with fuel cells. Their advantages: no noise, no pollutants, but the same utility, speed and range as passenger cars with petrol or diesel engines. Hydrogen vehicles have ranges of 500 to 700 kilometres and can be refuelled in just three minutes.
The network of stations at which fuel cell vehicles can refuel with hydrogen is becoming increasingly dense. In Germany there are now 71 H2 filling stations; by the turn of the year 2019/20 there will be 100. Further stations are currently being planned, for example in Westre (North Frisia district) and Brunsbüttel (Dithmarschen district). The Shell network in Germany already has 25 hydrogen filling stations.
The new facility at the Shell station on Lecker Chaussee in Handewitt is located directly by the Flensburg/Harrislee exit of the BAB 7 motorway. It is a link on the routes from Hamburg to Denmark, Sweden and Norway, where there is also a network of 20 hydrogen filling stations already in place.
The owner/developer is H2 MOBILITY Deutschland, a joint venture tasked with establishing a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany. The filling station technology comes from Linde.
The hydrogen station in Handewitt is state of the art. Its operation by the driver is intuitive; refuelling is similar to that of conventional vehicles. The facility is equipped with the Linde IC90 ionic compressor, and holds around 200 kilograms of H2 – enough to refuel 40 to 50 vehicles a day.
E-Mobility with hydrogen reduces CO2 emissions
H2 offers a chance to expand the range of fuels available in the transport sector in a climate-friendly way, as using hydrogen – especially when it is produced with renewable energy – can significantly reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions.
The hydrogen station in Handewitt is funded by the European Commission in the trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T CEF) as part of the Connecting Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (COHRS) project.
Comments on the opening of the H2 station in Handewitt:
Dr Bernd Buchholz, Minister of Economics, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein
“For Schleswig-Holstein, hydrogen technology is an indispensable component of the energy transition, and an important aspect of economic development. We are therefore working with other northern German federal states on a joint hydrogen strategy, which will serve as the basis and orientation for future joint northern German or European initiatives. The first hydrogen filling station in Handewitt is a living example of successful sector coupling.”
Dr Wolfgang Buschmann, District Administrator of the Schleswig-Flensburg District
“The Schleswig-Flensburg district is proud to have the first hydrogen filling station in Schleswig-Holstein. This sharpens our image as a modern, sustainable region. Rural areas are by no means backward, but can instead lead the way with modern technologies when it comes to the necessary transport turnaround. In addition, this opens up an opportunity for us to generate value locally with the wind power available here.”
Simone Lange, Lord Mayor of the City of Flensburg
“I am delighted that we have succeeded in installing a hydrogen filling station in the immediate vicinity of the city of Flensburg. This creates many new opportunities for our future mobility. In my own case, for example, it has enabled me to buy a hydrogen-powered company car.”
Thomas Zengerly, Spokesman of the Management Board, Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH
“We will need all sorts of drive systems and fuels for the mobility of the future. The fuel cell offers great advantages, for example, for long-distance journeys, i.e. also for drivers in rural areas, for fleet operators, and for heavy-duty applications. Because refuelling times are short and ranges long.”
Dr Christian Bruch, Member of the Executive Board, Linde AG:
“Hydrogen technology plays a decisive role in the successful spread of electromobility. High ranges, short refuelling times, and good on-site storage capacities are crucial criteria for an increasing use of hydrogen. Linde technologies are used at all key points in the H2 value chain and ensure high efficiency.”
Prof. Dr Christian Mohrdieck, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH:
“The demand for electric mobility with fuel cells is growing continuously. Besides an attractive range of vehicles including our own Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL, this is of course also due to the encouragingly steady development of the hydrogen infrastructure. By opening the H2 station in Handewitt, we are checking yet another important box: the connection of innovative refuelling options across state borders.”
Nikolas Iwan, Managing Director of H2 Mobility Deutschland GmbH:
“For us, there is no question that emission-free cars and commercial vehicles with fuel cells will command a significant market share around the world, and make a major contribution to reducing emissions from traffic. H2 MOBILITY is therefore further expanding the hydrogen filling station network in Germany. This year we will open a filling station every 10 days or so, ensuring that more and more people and companies can switch to hydrogen without major inconveniences.”
Peter Hamann, Chairman of EES ( Erneuerbare Energien und Speicher – Renewable Energies and Storage) e.V.:
“The opening of the hydrogen filling station in Handewitt marks a paradigm shift in the region’s e-mobility. With fuel-cell electric mobility, any citizens who have expressed reservations about e-mobility in the past now have the opportunity to fill up with a clean, CO2-free fuel locally. And the best thing is that they can fill up with 100% “green” hydrogen produced using local wind power. A technology that takes equal account of ecology and decentralization.”
About H2 MOBILITY
H2 Mobility Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG is responsible for establishing a hydrogen infrastructure to supply cars with fuel-cell propulsion (700 bar technology) in Germany. The interim goal by 2019/2020 is to operate 100 stations in seven German metropolitan regions (Hamburg, Berlin, Rhine-Ruhr, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Munich) as well as along trunk roads and motorways. With the ramp-up of vehicle numbers, as many as 400 hydrogen stations will eventually ensure a nationwide supply. H2 MOBILITY handles all the tasks – planning, construction, operation, and marketing – that are necessary for successfully expanding and operating the network.
The company’s shareholders are Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and TOTAL, with BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen and NOW GmbH (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) serving in an advisory capacity as associated partners.
More information: h2.live
Picture: Dr. Bernd Buchholz, Minister für Wirtschaft, Verkehr, Arbeit, Technologie und Tourismus, Schleswig-Holstein, Dr. Wolfgang Buschmann, Landrat Schleswig-Holstein, Simone Lang, Oberbürgermeisterin Flensburg, Sybille Riepe, H2 MOBILITY, Prof. Chr. Mohrdieck, Daimler AG, Dr. Thomas Zengerly, Shell Deutschland Oil, Peter Hamann, EES e.V., mit SchülerInnen der Auguste-Viktoria-Schule Flensburg
PRESS ENQUIRIES:
Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH: Axel Pommeränke, +49 (0)171 9728144, axel.pommeraenke@shell.com
Linde AG: Thomas Schaefer, +49 (0)89 7446-2464, thomas.kurt.schaefer@linde.com
H2 MOBILITY Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG: Sybille Riepe, +49 (0)170 58 70 317, riepe@h2-mobility.de