As part of the EU-backed H2Haul initiative, the trucks will provide insights for future development. One has been in operation since May, with a second due to be integrated into the group’s logistics planning soon.
The vehicle features a fuel cell module developed by OPmobility and VDL Enabling Transport Solutions (ETS) and can carry 40kg of hydrogen split across seven separate cylinders – about the same energy content as 137 litres of diesel, H2 View understands.
The seven carbon fibre tanks, each with a 241-litre capacity, store a total of 1,687 litres of compressed hydrogen at 350 bar, with the lightweight composite material helping offset the added weight of high-pressure storage.
The hydrogen storage system is designed to fit onto a standard electric truck setup, ensuring the vehicle remains road legal under EU length regulations.
The truck also carries a 210 kWh battery. The hydrogen-battery combination delivers a reported 450km range.
“Hydrogen is a promising technology alongside battery-electric transport [for the logistics sector],” stated Lieselot Rouquart, co-responsible for Zero Emission Transport at Colruyt Group.
“We invite all governments in Belgium to support green mobility technology by implementing incentivising legislative measures. We want to build and exchange on this together.”
Under the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), member states must deploy hydrogen refuelling stations every 200km along major transport corridors to stimulate hydrogen mobility demand, each supplying at least one tonne per day.
Belgium has seven hydrogen stations, but only two are operational. Colruyt Group and Dats 24 opened one near Antwerp in 2022, though it is now out of service.
Decarbonising heavy-duty transport: Why hydrogen must stay in the race
There is no doubt that we have seen setbacks in the hydrogen mobility sector in recent years. While this ‘age of realism’ has still seen a seven-fold increase in committed capital for hydrogen projects reaching final investment decision (FID) in the past four years1, sceptics question the role of hydrogen outside sectors where no viable alternatives currently exist, such as in the production of ammonia or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
This is particularly evident in Germany: once making strong steps towards being Europe’s leading adopter of hydrogen mobility, with a willingness to build out the minimum viable network for light-duty hydrogen vehicles, strong policy incentives, and generous funding for heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles and HRS, the cancellation of funding and crash of greenhouse gas (GHG) quota prices over the past year have made the business case for hydrogen mobility increasingly challenging and risky. Inevitably, this has led to a loss in momentum which the sector (and indeed, the planet) does not have time for.
Now is a crucial time to reexamine the need for hydrogen in decarbonising our heavy-duty transport systems, and what we need to do now to enable its implementation.
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