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Intro - Activities Hydrogen

Hydrogen activities

Overview of our current event participations, news and activities in the field of hydrogen.

News & events

Germany: Messer opens H2 filling station

Messer has started trial operations of a hydrogen filling station on the premises of the H. Freund haulage company in Kerpen, Germany. It will initially supply two and later 26 fuel-cell electric buses of REVG (Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft) with hydrogen. REVG plans to convert its entire vehicle fleet to emission-free drive technologies by 2030. By setting up further renewable hydrogen sources in the region, Messer is supporting this transformation and making a further contribution to the decarbonization of local public transport. Messer supplies the hydrogen filling station in Kerpen with gaseous “green” hydrogen via trailer, which initially comes from our production site in Castrop-Rauxel. Later, the “green” hydrogen will come from the electrolysis plant currently under construction in Jülich, in which we are involved as part of the “HyDN” joint venture.

Germany: Hydrogen tank installed at Duisburg port

Messer has installed a tank for hydrogen in fuel cell quality for Europe's largest container inland terminal. The tank is a central component of the ENERPORTII project, with which the Port of Duisburg is taking a further step towards a green and sustainable future. Messer is responsible for both the supply of hydrogen and the maintenance of the storage tanks on site.

Planning for a European Zero-Emission Bus Rollout at Scale

Bus operators are faced with clear pressure to transition their respective fleets to zero-emission vehicles. Over the past few years there have been several conferences and articles addressing the opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing public transport. Jason Dennis (Toyota Tsusho Europe SA), Tim Evison and Andreas Noky (Messer SE & Co. KGaA), from our joint venture 'SympH2ony', have written an article that addresses key findings from these sources to provide fleet and, in particular, bus operators with more clarity when choosing zero-emission technologies. The article can be downloaded from the SympH2ony website.

Hungary: Messer supports growing hydrogen mobility

Messer in Hungary joined industry professionals, researchers and other stakeholders in “Hydrogen Day”, organized by the “Hungarian Mobility Development Agency” (HUMDA). The event focused on the Fuel Cell Electric Bus (FCEB) pilot project in Hungary. This remarkable initiative was launched in early 2024 and focuses on promoting sustainable public transport. Over the last 11 months, FCEBs have driven through a total of six Hungarian cities for this purpose. Messer, as a hydrogen expert and strategic partner, ensured the hydrogen supply for the pilot project.

Hydrogen trade fair in Düren, Germany

In September 2024, Messer once again took part in the hydrogen trade fair organized by the district of Düren. It was already the fourth event of its kind and, with more than 50 exhibitors, also the largest to date. In the Brückenkopf-Park in Jülich (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), companies and universities presented projects, solutions and services related to hydrogen. A few weeks ago, Messer and the district of Düren broke ground on a hydrogen production plant in the Brainergy-Park in Jülich, which is scheduled to start production next year.

Hydrogen for Formula 1 race in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)

Hydrogen can provide clean, efficient and reliable energy in scenarios where grid power is unavailable or unreliable. This makes it an ideal choice for events in remote locations as well as for emergency power systems. A recent example was the use of our 300 bar hydrogen cylinder bundles at the Formula 1 race in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, which took place at the end of July 2024: Messer supplied the hydrogen for the hydrogen gensets that powered various processes during the race. A specially developed solution connected the hydrogen bundles to the gensets to ensure a seamless and efficient energy supply. With applications like this, Messer is contributing to the further development of hydrogen technology and its application in various fields, driving the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.

Investment in a 25 MW plant for renewable hydrogen

Virya Energy, HyoffGreen and Messer have made the final investment decision for the Hyoffwind project in Zeebrugge, Belgium. This was the final confirmation before the start of construction of the first 25 MW plant for the production of renewable hydrogen in Belgium. It is scheduled to go into operation in 2026 and contribute to a saving of around 25,000 tons of CO2 per year in the mobility and industrial sectors. The plant, with an initial capacity of 25 MW, can be expanded to up to 100 MW in the future. The Zeebrugge site, which was selected due to its strategic location, is well connected to all relevant energy grids, making it the ideal location for the realization of sector coupling.

Messer and Toyota Tsusho Europe launch joint venture for hydrogen mobility solutions

Under the name "SympH₂ony" the partners offer companies, cities, municipalities and port operators in Europe a comprehensive solution for switching to environmentally friendly, hydrogen-powered vehicle fleets. SympH₂ony's offer includes zero-emission vehicles, hydrogen refueling stations and hydrogen supplies with optional on-site production of H₂ as well as the services required for reliable operation – all tailored to the customer's specific needs. The option of billing according to kilometers driven by the fleet ensures calculable total operating costs. At the official launch of "SympH₂ony", Bernd Eulitz, CEO Messer SE & Co. KGaA (l), and Hiromasa Ishii, President and CEO Toyota Tsusho Europe SA, also presented the website.

Starting signal for green hydrogen production in Düren (Germany)

A symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, marked the start of construction of a new hydrogen production plant in Brainergy Park, Jülich (Germany). The plant will be operated by HyDN GmbH, which is owned equally by the district of Düren and Messer Industriegase GmbH. After the expected start of production in fall 2025, the plant will produce up to 180 kilograms of green hydrogen per hour. This will be used to refuel regional fuel cell buses, cars and trains. Messer is responsible for storing the hydrogen produced, filling it and carrying out quality control. Messer will also market the remaining hydrogen.

Messer and Toyota: H2 car on tour in Sarajevo

In cooperation with Messer a one-day exhibition of hydrogen-powered Toyota vehicles was held for the public on June 11, in Sarajevo. This contribution to sustainable mobility was hosted by Messer and Toyota BiH. "We are pleased to collaborate with Toyota on this important project for promoting the use of hydrogen technologies in sustainable mobility. The use of green hydrogen as a fuel, represents an important milestone in the approach to transportation, it makes it environmentally friendly and directly reduces the emissions of harmful gases that affect our cities and health," Mirjana Vuković, Managing Director of Messer in BiH, points out.

Messer presents H2 One Stop Shop at “Hydrogen in Traffic and Industry”

Messer took part in this year's International Forum "Hydrogen in Traffic and Industry" in Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on June 12, 2024. The forum brought together industry representatives and decision-makers as part of the European Commission's JIVE/JIVE 2 project. Messer shared its experience in the field of hydrogen mobility and presented its "H2 One Stop Shop" for fleet operators. "Why shouldn't Sarajevo be one of the European cities whose urban transportation uses hydrogen and uses sustainable green energy with zero emissions? The growing problem of air pollution threatens people's health and quality of life. The introduction of hydrogen as a fuel in urban transportation can significantly reduce the emission of harmful gases and improve the quality of the air we breathe," said Mirjana Vuković, Managing Director of Messer BiH.

Green hydrogen from our steam reformer in Castrop-Rauxel

By using biomethane certificates, we have reduced some of the emissions from our gray hydrogen product, which we produce in Castrop Rauxel (Germany) through steam reforming, by more than 70 %. Messer received the green certificate from TÜV Süd for this.

Messer & Toyota Tsusho Europe: successful H2 bus roadshow

The second "JIVE 2 CEE Bus Roadshow", which took place in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in 2023, can be considered a complete success: All cities in which fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) were presented and tested have officially expressed interest in using FCEBs. This is the result that the roadshow organizer has now published. The roadshow, in which Messer and Toyota Tsusho Europe actively participated by providing hydrogen, H2 filling station technology and buses, comprised 19 events attended by over 970 people. According to the organizer, the extensive media coverage reached over 3.6 million people. You can find out more about the key findings and impact of the second "JIVE 2 CEE Bus Roadshow" here: https://www.fuelcellbuses.eu/public-transport-hydrogen/d421-2nd-roadshow-lessons-learned

Lots of potential for FCEB - with corresponding safety

What can fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) and trucks do better than their purely battery-powered alternatives? To summarize: A hydrogen refueling station can supply dozens of buses per hour, while a charging station is required for each battery-powered bus, the filling with hydrogen is much faster, the vehicles offer more payload and the electricity for generating green hydrogen can be used when it is cheapest and “greenest”. Tim Evison, responsible for hydrogen at Messer, gave these clear answers on the first evening of the "Winter Summit" organized by the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) in Antwerp, Belgium. Tim Evison also emphasized the importance of using hydrogen safely and reliably to invited guests, including representatives of the European Commission. As an industrial gases specialist, Messer has decades of experience in this field. The appropriate "practical example" for the presentation was the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai from Messer.

Messer presents innovative cooler for Hydrogen refueling

In order to be able to refuel hydrogen vehicles quickly and completely, the hydrogen must be cooled during the refueling process. Until now, conventional chillers have been used for this purpose. These require a lot of space, cause high operating costs and sometimes work unreliably. The new H2 cooler developed by Messer is different: it is operated with liquid nitrogen, requires no electricity, is maintenance-free and works extremely reliably. Our development team has installed the H2 cooler in a transport frame. This means it can be made available as a pilot system and demonstrate its advantages in real operation. Our H2 cooler is patent pending.

Joint letter sent to the EU Commission

Messer is one of 18 commercial enterprises that have signed a joint letter and sent it to the EU Commission. The letter welcomes the adoption of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). However, the signatories also stress the importance of quickly establishing the H2 refueling stations envisaged in the AFIR: they are a prerequisite for getting a sufficient number of fuel cell electric vehicles on the road and thus contributing to the decarbonization of transport. In addition to Messer, the signatory companies included: Stellantis, BMW Group, HYVIA, Daimler Truck AG, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, American Honda Motor Company, Inc, Renault, TotalEnergies, ENGIE, Air Liquide, Linde, VINCI Concessions, Snam S.p.A., Everfuel, Hydrogen Europe and H2 MOBILITY Germany.