NPROXX is currently working on a project to design, build and install core parts of a hydrogen refuelling station in the Rhineland area of Germany. Operating as part of a consortium, NPROXX will supply innovative hydrogen storage facilities for the refuelling station. The hydrogen refuelling station, at Meckenheim near Cologne, is one of two that have been commissioned by the regional transport operator, Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK).
RVK aims to significantly reduce the level of harmful emissions that is emitted by their current fleet of diesel-powered buses, including CO2, NOx, particulate matter and noise, without impacting the efficiency and operability. To achieve this, RVK has begun the acquisition of 30 fuel-cell hybrid powered buses, a move which clearly indicates the progressive view within the transport industry for clean, sustainable solutions that are suitable for heavy-duty everyday usage in a metropolitan and regional environment.
Emission-free public transportation
“The hydrogen refuelling stations to be built are a crucial element for RVK in order to be able to successfully shape the way to emission-free local traffic in our region,” says RVK managing director Eugen Puderbach. “The two plants to be built can currently supply up to 20 environmentally friendly hydrogen buses each with a total of 500 kilograms of hydrogen per day.”
The NPROXX refuelling solution used at Meckenheim is highly energy-efficient, offering quick and efficient refuelling using innovative hydrogen storage facilities. H2 is stored in lightweight, high-strength carbon fibre pressure vessels, which are arranged across two separate storage systems, providing more than one tonne of hydrogen at a pressure of 500 bar.
“RVK is aiming to deploy a significant fleet of hydrogen powered buses to deliver public transport in the Cologne region, and so there is a clear need for the infrastructure to support this” explains NPROXX Project Manager Dr. Ing. Stephan Kronholz. “These fuel cell hybrid buses offer a number of really compelling advantages, including high range, short refuelling time and flexibility. They are an ideal solution for any low- or no-emissions transport strategy, but of course the ability to refuel these buses quickly is crucial, and this is where NPROXX innovative storage technology comes in.”