Clean Logistics presents zero-emission, hydrogen-powered truck

24 June 2022

Hamburg-based logistics firm presents tractor unit featuring fuel cell, hydrogen-powered system

Clean Logistics presented Thursday (June 23, 2022) its first hydrogen-powered, zero-emission truck named “Fyuriant” at the Stade airfield. The truck is expected to launch environment-friendlier freight transport on roads, which has doubled across Germany over the past 30 years. And the trend is growing, according to the German Ministry for the Environment. More goods must be transported by rail, and trucks must be equipped with alternative drives to lower emissions considerably.

Hydrogen truck to help decarbonise transport sector

The diesel drive of a conventional tractor unit has been replaced by emission-free, hydrogen-powered drive which is “far more resource-efficient than manufacturing an entirely new vehicle”, according to Dirk Graszt, CEO of Clean Logistics (see also: Dirk Graszt's video interview with Hamburg News). "The truck is a milestone in decarbonizing the transport sector in Germany and Europe." The two hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen tanks enable a range of more than 400 kilometres and refuelling times of less than 15 minutes, he added.

During the presentation, Clean Logistics announced the receipt of a first large order for the trucks from GP Joule GmbH, a system provider of integrated energy solutions using renewable energies. The client has ordered 40 hydrogen trucks and reserved conversion sites. The order is in the double-digit millions.

Great demand for hydrogen vehicles

Last year, Clean Logistics equipped a diesel-powered bus for public transport with a fuel cell hydrogen drive and launched it on the market. "The response to our trucks and buses in the industry is great because we are already able to supply the market with zero-emission vehicles," Graszt said. The company is expanding its production capacities hugely and building a new production hall in Winsen (Luhe), southeast of Hamburg, from which up to 450 vehicles will be delivered annually from the end of 2023.

The German Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport has provided some EUR 3.3 million in funds as part of the German government's Mobility and Fuel Strategy (MKS). "The prototype development, which represents the cornerstone of our further growth, would not have been possible without the funding," Graszt noted.

Hamburg to become national hydrogen hub

Clean Logistics’ hydrogen truck exemplifies Hamburg's goal of becoming a national and Europe-wide logistics centre for the hydrogen industry by 2030. A cross-border network of pilot projects in northern Germany shows how an economically-viable hydrogen sector can be achieved. One of the world's first hydrogen ecosystems for start-ups, the "H2 StartUp Accelerator", was recently launched in Hamburg.

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