A long-haul trial of a hydrogen truck has been carried out by DHL Express on a route between Breda in the Netherlands and Brussels in Belgium.
The truck, operated by Dutch Nassau Sneltransport, will run this cross-border route to deliver Apple products. It has a fuel cell range extender from vehicle manufacturer VDL and covers a daily distance of around 200km. It refuels its hydrogen daily in Breda at a mobile fuel station from Wystrach. During this piloting phase, DHL expects the new technology to save up to 350 tons of CO2 .
This pilot forms part of DHL’s contribution to the Northwestern Europe H2-Share program by the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC/Interreg). The program is coordinated by WaterstofNet. This program’s goal is to develop low-carbon heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles for logistic applications and gain practical experience in different regions.
DHL reasons that while battery-electric trucks can operate efficiently within last-mile delivery, fuels from renewable energies such as hydrogen are essential for zero-emission line-haul. Therefore, Deutsche Post DHL Group is heavily investing in the use of alternative fuels to adhere to its Sustainability Roadmap.
Alberto Nobis, CEO of DHL Express Europe, said, “In a globalized world, sustainable and clean fuels are essential for climate-neutral logistics. Not only for sea and air freight but also line-haul road freight, as these help reduce CO2 emissions. That’s why we engage not only in the electrification of our fleet but also invest in the development of alternative drive systems for very long ranges. The project shows that we can achieve truly emission-free logistics in Europe if we join forces and build on experience.”