Air Liquide and Iveco Group reaffirm their commitment to hydrogen at the inauguration of the first high-pressure hydrogen station for long-haul trucks in Europe

With the opening of Air Liquide’s high-pressure hydrogen refuelling station in Fos-sur-Mer (Marseille) and Iveco Group’s readiness to deliver hydrogen trucks starting from late 2023, the two companies are paving the way for hydrogen long-haulage mobility in Europe.

This inauguration marks a step forward in the two companies’ commitment to the development of hydrogen mobility in Europe, in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December 2021. The MoU aims to advance hydrogen as a crucial enabler for the energy transition of the transport industry by leveraging the unique expertise of Air Liquide across the entire hydrogen value chain, from production and storage to distribution, and the know-how of IVECO, the commercial vehicle brand of Iveco Group, a pioneer in the manufacturing of vehicles powered by alternative fuels.

Guests at the inauguration that took place on June 26, 2023 had the opportunity to visit the large-capacity high-pressure station (1 ton/day) supplied with low-carbon hydrogen via pipeline, and to see first-hand a prototype of an IVECO heavy-duty fuel cell truck. This transport solution for long haulage features a fast refuelling time at 700-bar pressure.

The Fos-sur-Mer station is part of the HyAMMED (“Hydrogène à Aix-Marseille pour une Mobilité Ecologique et Durable”) project supported by French funding. The new station is also part of H2Haul, the European project co-financed by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Air Liquide and IVECO were among the first partners of the H2Haul project when it was launched in 2019. A second high-capacity station (700 bar, 2 tons/day) dedicated to heavy vehicles will be installed in Salon-de-Provence to supply a potential fleet of 50 hydrogen IVECO trucks from 2025 in the framework of the R’HySE project.

Erwin Penfornis, Vice-President Hydrogen Energy World Business Line, Air Liquide, said

To encourage the widespread use of hydrogen, we must collectively create the conditions for the sector to flourish. It is imperative to develop a network of high-capacity stations dense enough to enable vehicle manufacturers and transport operators to embark on this transition. The HyAMMED project is part of this approach: it's a decisive first step and the kick-off to a greater ambition that we share with our partner IVECO.

 Gerrit Marx, CEO, Iveco Group, affirmed

Our strategy for increasingly sustainable mobility is based on a technology-neutral approach and hydrogen mobility is a key building block on this path. In fact, it provides an essential solution for high energy demanding commercial vehicle applications, such as long-haul transport. Today we showed that we have all the capabilities, both the vehicles and the stations, to put a true hydrogen mobility ecosystem on the road: the strategy is becoming reality. And our new, all-inclusive, pay-per-use rental model GATE - Green & Advanced Transport Ecosystem will enable access to the hydrogen-powered vehicles. Today’s milestone allows us to further strengthen the strategic and fundamental partnership with Air Liquide, a leader on the international energy transition scene that, like Iveco Group, works to advance a more sustainable society. 

The HyAMMED project, part of the H2Haul program (Hydrogen fuel cell trucks for heavy-duty, zero emission logistics), has received funding from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership under grant agreement no. 826236. This public-private partnership is supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research. The HyAMMED project has also received financial support from the Hydrogen Mobility Ecosystems Program run by ADEME, from the Région Sud, and from the French government as part of the Programme d'investissements d'avenir (PIA).

The R'HySE project has received funding from ADEME and the European Union (Connecting Europe Facility for Transport).