Media information
Opening of the heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling station in Neumünster
30. November 2023
Head of the State Chancellery Dirk Schrödter inaugurates “H2-Hub Neumünster” and gives go-ahead for environmentally friendly refuelling of trucks and cars
The first hydrogen filling station specially optimised for heavy commercial vehicles was officially opened today in Neumünster in the presence of Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister and Head of the State Chancellery Dirk Schrödter.
From today, one kilogram of hydrogen can be refuelled at the now freely accessible hydrogen filling station at a price of EUR 9.75 gross at 350 bar and EUR 9.99 gross at 700 bar. The accessibility designed for articulated lorries and semi-trailers, the high capacity with 2,000 kg of hydrogen refuelling per day at two 350 bar and one 700 bar dispenser, as well as the geographical location on the BAB 7 motorway, make the hydrogen filling station operated by Hypion 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 now available for refuelling trucks and cars.
In Schleswig-Holstein, this step marks a significant milestone for the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. “I am delighted that Schleswig-Holstein is actively driving forward the urgently needed decarbonisation of the transport sector. 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 the business location, but also opens up more diverse options for private individuals to use green hydrogen as an environmentally friendly drive system for mobility,” said Dirk Schrödter, Head of the State Chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein.
The opening marks the achievement of an important goal for Hypion as the responsible operating company, as Managing Director Dr Stefan Rehm emphasises:
“The hydrogen refuelling station that has now 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 back in 2020. Pioneers of emission-free heavy goods 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 petrol station operator and the local fleet operators 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 (Électricité de France) and HanseWerk acted as masterminds and investors, driving the project forward and making 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 can now set this milestone for the mobility transition and offer local companies a sustainable solution for emission-free heavy goods transport.”
Beatrice Buffon, Group Executive Director in charge of international Management, EDF International SAS, emphasises: “The commissioning of Neumünster is an important step on the way to actively driving forward the decarbonisation of important economic sectors. Only practical implementation will provide the experience needed to establish CO2-neutral heavy goods transport. With its location in the Scan-Med corridor, the Neumünster project also has an impact at European level.”
“The entire realisation of this project was only possible thanks to the close cooperation with our reliable partners and investors. Only the close cooperation between companies from a wide range of sectors makes it possible to overcome the major challenges of the energy and mobility transition,” summarised Rehm in his concluding remarks.
Premiere at the hydrogen refuelling station: First truck successfully refuelled
29. August 2023
Milestone in the test phase of the “H2-Hub Neumünster”
(Neumünster, 29.08.2023) On 29 August, the first hydrogen-powered truck, a Hyundai XCIENT FuelCell, was successfully refuelled at the H2-Hub’s new hydrogen filling station in Neumünster during the test phase. Now that this milestone has been reached, we are making great strides towards the opening of the site on the B-205. The filling station is due to go into regular operation this year and be made available to the public for refuelling trucks and cars with gaseous green hydrogen. Further tests will form the basis for this. hierfür.
Herbert Voigt GmbH & Co. KG is the first company from the group of partners to receive a fuel cell lorry. KG has received a fuel cell lorry. Voigt Logistik was able to successfully meet the current challenges in the market via the vehicle rental company hylane GmbH from Cologne: The demand for hydrogen-based commercial vehicles is currently encountering a very limited supply. Challenges in the development of the vehicles, supply bottlenecks and authorisation requirements are leading to long delivery times. Holger Matzen, Business Developer Contract Logistics at Voigt, is therefore all the more pleased to see significant progress in the field of the new drive technology: “It is with great pleasure that we are now the first haulage and logistics company in Schleswig-Holstein to offer transport using an emission-free lorry with a hydrogen drive,” says Matzen. This marks the beginning of the time for our innovative company to gather experience with this new drive technology and gradually replace fossil fuels in favour of emission-free trucks.” The vehicle is provided by hylane GmbH, which rents the lorry to customers from the logistics and retail sectors specifically for this use.
After the phases of development, planning and construction of the hydrogen filling station by Hypion GmbH, Dr Stefan Rehm, Managing Director, is also satisfied: “With the first test refuelling of a truck, we are showing that answers and solutions have been found for all the requirements in the development and implementation of the H2-Hub Neumünster. We are pleased that the provision of the vehicle and the refuelling were almost synchronised and that the project could be realised within a very ambitious time frame.” The individual pieces of the puzzle will only come together by the time the hub opens if there is good co-operation with partners. The POHL Group and the Dutch system manufacturer Resato Hydrogen Technology B.V. were only able to start the construction work and system installation for the refuelling station in February. This was preceded by several intensive months of preparation and the acquisition of funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport by Hypion GmbH. “However, we are now on target to demonstrate a new quality of hydrogen refuelling station and put it into public operation in the near future,” emphasises Rehm.
Market environment
The mobility sector is responsible for around 20% of annual carbon emissions worldwide and hydrogen plays an important role in reducing these emissions. Heavy goods transport is particularly important in this context. The provision of green hydrogen for use in the mobility sector, among others, is therefore a crucial building block for reducing carbon emissions. Overall systems with hydrogen production, transport, distribution and utilisation must be developed as integrated hydrogen economies. Hypion will realise this with its partners in Neumünster in 2023.
“The H2-HubNMS project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport with a total of 4,891,320 euros as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).”
Hypion orders hydrogen transport containers from Wystrach
24. November 2022
Further competence for the “H2-Hub Neumünster”:
(Heide/Kiel/Neumünster, 24.11.2022) Another important component of the heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling station in Neumünster has been secured. Hypion Motion Neumünster GmbH & Co. KG has ordered hydrogen transport containers from Wystrach GmbH in Weeze, a wholly owned subsidiary of Norway’s Hexagon Purus ASA. The three 40-foot hydrogen distribution systems, worth around 2.2 million euros, will be delivered in 2024 and will enable the company to achieve its target of 800 kg of refuelled hydrogen per day. The investment will also create a reliable basis for being able to supply 2,000 kg of H2 per day at the Neumünster H2 hub. This energy input will then be equivalent to around 5 million heavy goods kilometres and more than 5,100 tonnes of CO2 reduction per year in the future.
Implementation shapes the energy transition
“Working with the best and most experienced technology providers on the market is crucial to implementing our plans successfully, economically and competitively,” says Dr Stefan Rehm, Development Director at Hypion. “We are delighted to have Wystrach as part of the team building a network of green hydrogen refuelling stations in Northern Germany and Germany.”
“Our Wystrach high-pressure distribution system can also be used as mobile storage for hydrogen refuelling stations. This can reduce both overall investment and operating costs, as it eliminates the need for fixed storage capacity and reduces on-site energy consumption,” says Matthias Kötter, Head of Sales at Wystrach, adding: “The hybrid use of our distribution systems enables Hypion to both transport hydrogen efficiently and feed it into the refuelling station in Neumünster using the same distribution system.”
Market environment
The mobility sector is responsible for around 20% of annual carbon emissions worldwide and hydrogen plays an important role in reducing these emissions. Heavy goods transport is particularly important in this context. The provision of green hydrogen for use in the mobility sector, among others, is therefore a crucial building block for reducing carbon emissions. Overall systems with hydrogen production, transport, distribution and utilisation must be developed as integrated hydrogen economies. Hypion will realise this with its partners in Neumünster in 2023.
“The H2-HubNMS project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport with a total of 4,891,320 euros as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).”
Federal Ministry of Transport funds hydrogen refuelling station for heavy goods vehicles in Neumünster
20. October 2022
Hypion receives €4.9 million in funding
For the procurement of a publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station for commercial vehicles, the operating company Hypion Motion Neumünster GmbH & Co. KG receives a grant from the “Climate and Transformation Fund” of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV) in the amount of 4.9 million euros.
The aim of the project, which was applied for in January 2022 in the 2nd phase of the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP-II), is to contribute to the market activation of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the transport sector.
Under the leadership of Hypion GmbH and in close cooperation with Logistik Initiative Schleswig-Holstein e. V., an H2 hub is being set up in Neumünster (Schleswig-Holstein). Well-known companies from the retail, construction and logistics sectors, such as EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nord (Neumünster), EDEKA AG (Hamburg), Ernst Krebs (Neumünster), F. A. Kruse jun. (Brunsbüttel), Herbert Voigt (Neumünster) and Netto Marken-Discount (Henstedt-Ulzburg site) are also part of the business cluster, as is the vehicle conversion company Clean Logistics SE (Hamburg). In total, all players are investing an amount in the double-digit millions to sustainably drive forward the decarbonisation of transport systems.
“We are delighted about the funding,” says Dr Stefan Rehm, project manager at Hypion GmbH. “The approval underlines the fact that the concept presented, which includes the production of green hydrogen, its distribution at an efficient filling station infrastructure and its use in 40-tonne tractor units, was convincing,” adds Rehm.
The technical design of the refuelling station technology ordered will be able to refuel up to 2,000 kg of hydrogen per day. The first hydrogen-based transport hub on this new scale will be a blueprint and serve as a model for other locations in Germany and Europe. This is because the design addresses the necessary requirements of the transport industry on the one hand and allows economic viability to be achieved on the other.
The BMDV’s investment support in the early market establishment phase helps to develop a competitive offering for zero-emission transport in a real market environment. The Hypion team is taking a concrete approach, inviting the transport industry to get involved in green transport and aiming to provide a relevant impetus with a leverage effect towards clean freight transport.
“The H2-HubNMS project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport with a total of 4,891,320 euros as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).”
Hydrogen refuelling station for heavy goods vehicles coming to Neumünster
14. September 2022
Contracts are concluded between Hypion and Resato
Under the leadership of Hypion GmbH, the implementation of the first Hypion hydrogen refuelling station for heavy goods vehicles in the southern industrial estate in Neumünster begins today with the signing of the order for the refuelling station technology with Resato Hydrogen Technology BV from the Netherlands.
right: Robert T.P. Castien, CEO Resato International B.V (picture: Hypion)
After two years of preparation with concept and project development, the realisation is now underway. Hypion and Resato, the qualified technology supplier for the hydrogen refuelling station, have signed a corresponding supply contract. The aim is to be able to offer the first refuelling stations to companies in the Neumünster H2 hub from the logistics, retail and construction sectors in the second quarter of 2023.
The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs is supporting the overall project. For example, the partners in the Neumünster H2 hub received federal funding at the beginning of the year to procure the first heavy goods vehicles in Germany based on fuel cell-electric drives. “Together, we are building a holistic system that is independent of fossil fuels. It includes the procurement of green hydrogen, logistics and distribution at filling stations through to use in heavy-duty vehicles,” explains Dr Stefan Rehm, project manager at Hypion GmbH. “Economic viability can only be achieved with a new order of magnitude of several hundred kilograms of H2 sales per day. The project ideally provides a relevant impetus for introducing clean freight transport with green hydrogen to the market.”
In addition to signing the contract to order the fuelling station technology, a letter of intent has also been signed between Hypion and Resato. “We reaffirm our intention to build a network of at least 10 heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling stations in Schleswig-Holstein and northern Germany with proven partners,” says Harro Possel, Managing Director of Hypion. Robert Castien, CEO of Resato, adds: “Resato is striving to become a leading global provider of hydrogen refuelling station technologies. Hypion’s projects are of strategic importance in this respect”.
An important step towards climate protection – made in Schleswig-Holstein:
Every player in the integrated hydrogen economy being established is demonstrating its commitment to the future and climate protection. Together, all players are investing an amount in the double-digit millions to establish a first location on a new scale and sustainably drive forward the decarbonisation of transport systems. Further vehicles are planned so that the public, efficient and reliable refuelling infrastructure can be used to cover 5 million heavy goods kilometres and thus achieve a CO2 reduction of more than 3,700 tonnes of CO2 per year in the future. The zero-emission transport operations will be designed in such a way that they are economically competitive in the transport industry. This project at the Neumünster transport hub in Schleswig-Holstein is an invitation to the transport industry to start using green transport.
Hydrogen refuelling station for heavy goods vehicles planned in Lübeck
25. February 2022
Regional companies want to save more than 2,000 tonnes of CO2 with green hydrogen in freight transport
A consortium of several energy, logistics and industrial companies wants to enable CO2-free lorry traffic in Lübeck and the surrounding area from 2023. With the signing of a letter of intent on 25 February, the production, distribution and consumption of green, environmentally friendly hydrogen is now being put into concrete terms. This means that clean freight transport can be offered in the Lübeck region in the near future.
The pressure to act sustainably is constantly growing. Thanks to the impetus provided by Hypion GmbH from Heide, an H2 transport hub in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck is to be realised as early as 2023. The desired economically viable system is growing out of local co-operations. An initial group of private and municipal companies has thus come together to ensure the establishment of a functioning value chain with the production, logistics, distribution and use of sustainable hydrogen. The conditions for implementation are favourable.
In addition to Hypion GmbH from Heide, Logistik Initiative Schleswig-Holstein e. V. and IHK zu Lübeck, the signatories to the joint declaration of intent concluded on 25 February 2022 at the IHK zu Lübeck are the following companies:
/ Spedition Bode GmbH & Co. KG,
/ combisped Hanseatische Spedition GmbH,
/ Hans Lehmann KG,
/ Spedition W. Schultz u. Sohn GmbH,
/ REAX Transporte GmbH,
/ Spedition Henning Peters GmbH & Co. KG,
Zementwerk Lübeck GmbH & Co. KG,
/ Lübecker Schrotthandel GmbH,
/ Stadtwerke Lübeck GmbH,
/ HanseWerk AG.
An important step towards climate protection – made in Schleswig-Holstein
Every player is showing their commitment to the future and climate protection. “We are proud of the partners in Lübeck who are setting a good example and want to be pioneers in implementing the necessary decarbonisation in their industry,” says a delighted Dr Stefan Rehm, Development Director at Hypion GmbH. “It shows that future-oriented solutions are being implemented in Schleswig-Holstein with courage and drive and that more than 2,000 tonnes of CO2 can be saved per year in the short term as a contribution to climate protection.”
The first of the 20 vehicles announced are primarily from the logistics and construction sectors. Only water vapour will be emitted when the fuel cell-electric vehicles are in operation. This means that 40-tonne lorries, among others, will be CO2-neutral in the future and will also drive quietly. With their investment, the companies are making an important contribution to making transport in the Lübeck region more environmentally friendly and are also extending an invitation to other regional, national and international transport companies to refuel in Lübeck in a climate-friendly way.
A favourable location for the filling station has already been found, taking into account other municipal activities. An exchange with the City of Lübeck has already begun and is now being concretised for further planning and approval of the hydrogen filling station location. A separate project company, Hypion Motion Lübeck GmbH & Co. KG, was founded for the construction and operation of the fuelling station.
In the presence of Lübeck’s mayor Jan Lindenau, Hypion GmbH was presented with a funding decision from Energy Transition Minister Jan Philipp Albrecht in June 2021 to prepare five hydrogen-based mobility hubs in Schleswig-Holstein. Having already reported on the first key project in Neumünster, another location in Schleswig-Holstein is now following with Lübeck. Experiences from Neumünster will be directly incorporated into the implementation in Lübeck and will thus accelerate the realisation.
Development of green hydrogen: Hypion GmbH welcomes HanseWerk AG as a new shareholder
24. June 2022
Hypion GmbH strengthens its strategic position for the realisation of green hydrogen projects.
As part of its capital increase, Hypion GmbH, the Heide-based joint venture company between EDF Deutschland GmbH, Entwicklungsagentur Region Heide AöR (EARH) and IPP Projects GmbH, is pleased to announce that it signed an agreement with HanseWerk AG on 18 June 2021 to acquire a stake. The merger has now been submitted to the Brussels antitrust authorities for review. With the expected accession of HanseWerk AG, each partner will hold an equal 25% stake in the capital of Hypion GmbH. Hypion GmbH is actively driving forward the development of an integrated green hydrogen economy in order to contribute to the decarbonisation of the mobility, industry, buildings and electricity market sectors. Hypion is planning to establish a network of hydrogen-based hubs in the north, particularly in the area of heavy goods mobility.
“The participation of HanseWerk AG represents a perfect extension of Hypion’s expertise for the concrete implementation of economically viable hydrogen systems. From Schleswig-Holstein for northern Germany and northern Europe, it is now even easier to create holistically structured clusters and networked infrastructures together with the users. As a strong brand for the sustainable hydrogen economy, Hypion’s broad base of municipal and private sponsorship credibly conveys the path of cooperation in a complex environment,” says Harro Possel, Managing Director of Hypion GmbH.
With its investment in Hypion GmbH, the HanseWerk Group is strengthening its strategic focus on the use of green hydrogen: “We are focussing on climate-friendly, green hydrogen wherever it is technically possible and economically viable. With Hypion, we will drive and shape the entire value chain in the field of mobility for our customers: From hydrogen production, logistics and refuelling stations to the users,” says Matthias Boxberger, CEO of HanseWerk AG.
Under the motto “Pioneer for Integrated Hydrogen Economies”, the development agency Region Heide AöR, IPP Projects GmbH, EDF Deutschland GmbH and HanseWerk AG will bundle their expertise in a joint company, Hypion GmbH.
With this cooperation, all partners are strengthening their relationships at regional level in Germany in order to be available to companies and the public sector as an active partner with a broad portfolio of expertise.
Hydrogen-based hubs in Schleswig-Holstein
21. June 2021
Schleswig-Holstein is predestined for the development of a green hydrogen economy for freight transport. Here, the logistical connections between Scandinavia and northern Germany are combined with the regional production of renewable energies in a forward-looking way. Freight transport hubs are being prepared at five strategically located sites to ensure green hydrogen mobility in Schleswig-Holstein.
The planning of these five locations is subsidised by WT.SH and plays a central role in the hydrogen strategy of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Integrated hydrogen systems
When initialising a hydrogen economy, the holistic planning of production, infrastructure, logistics and acceptance is essential. Hypion brings players together and thus establishes an implementation-orientated network of private industry and municipal companies. The partners support each other jointly in the design of the electrolysis process, the organisation of the filling station infrastructure and the development of the heavy-duty fleet. Stable systems for an integrated hydrogen economy can only be planned and developed in the required dimensions with mutual commitments to delivery and acceptance.
The merger of companies from the logistics, retail, municipal waste management and construction industries in Neumünster can be seen as the first milestone on the way to establishing the transport transition. Regional partners have publicly declared their willingness to jointly tackle the economic utilisation of green hydrogen in a declaration of intent. The funding supports the implementation planning.
From pioneering project to pioneering region
The experience gained from the pioneering project in Neumünster can be utilised to activate the market at other locations. Each individual location works in co-operation with its partners. We strengthen regional players who are committed to a future-orientated Schleswig-Holstein out of conviction and with the courage to innovate.
Further forward-looking hubs are currently planned in Heide, Lübeck, Itzehoe and in the Schleswig-Flensburg district. All locations are strategically situated along the central transport axes in Schleswig-Holstein. This means that the state will offer the first attractive hydrogen infrastructure in the future, which will also benefit international through traffic.
Hydrogen-based logistics in Neumünster
17. September 2020
At the Neumünster site, companies from logistics, trade, municipal waste management and the construction industry are preparing the economic utilisation of green hydrogen in freight transport.
A declaration of intent was signed today in the presence of Minister President Daniel Günther and the Mayor of Neumünster, Dr Olaf Tauras. It is the starting signal for lorries to drive on Schleswig-Holstein’s roads using green hydrogen produced from renewable energies. The project is the first of its kind in Germany, which aims to achieve the sustainable decarbonisation of freight transport.
Neumüster particularly suitable
Hypion GmbH has been working on a holistic system with nine other partners since January 2020. Only by establishing the entire value chain from hydrogen production, logistics and refuelling station distribution through to use in vehicles can a market-based hydrogen project be created today. The decisive factors here are scaling effects and co-operation. As a transport hub in Schleswig-Holstein, Neumünster is particularly suitable for this.
The following partners have come together in Neumünster: EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nord (Neumünster), EDEKA AG (Hamburg), Ernst Krebs (Neumünster), Friedrich A. Kruse jun. (Brunsbüttel), Herbert Voigt (Neumünster), Netto Marken-Discount (site Henstedt-Ulzburg) and Clean Logistics (Hamburg). Hypion, the tenth partner, is the project developer and is responsible for setting up the infrastructure and supplying green hydrogen for the project.
Minister President supports the project
Out of conviction, orientated on the future and the sense for responsibility companies with appropriate vehicle fleets, vehicle provider and hydrogen producers came together to start the detailled planning of th eproject. There are currently about 20 fuel cell trucks consisting of 40 ton trucks and 12-18 ton disttribution vehicles. These vehicles represent about two million heavy-duty kilometers and a prospective CO2-reduction of more than 1.5 million kilogramms CO2 per year. The investment ammount is valued at 16 million EUR until 2023, which includes the construction of a hydrogen fuelling station for heavy duty vehicles in Neumünster.
“The project as a whole creates added value in Schleswig-Holstein and shows forward-looking entrepreneurship,” emphasized Prime Minister Daniel Günther at the signing. “At the same time, it is a good example that CO2-free green hydrogen obtained from renewable energies is becoming a necessary component of the energy transition,” he continued.