Self-sufficient refueling station for green hydrogen
A self-sufficient green hydrogen refueling station will open in Utrecht in early 2022. Entrepreneurs in the Lage Weide business park took the initiative. It will be a hydrogen refueling station with an electrolyser where local green hydrogen is produced with green electricity. The Municipality of Utrecht has now awarded the necessary grant for this purpose.
ERDF grant
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the Municipality of Utrecht has granted € 848,000 subsidy for the realization of a hydrogen refueling station where, by means of an electrolyser, green hydrogen will soon be produced locally with green electricity. At the same time, this project is investing in hydrogen-powered transport vehicles. The grant comes from a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) scheme. The municipality did so under the Opportunities for West II Operational Program.
Sustainable entrepreneurs
The plan to realize a hydrogen filling station and electrolyser for the production of green hydrogen at the Lage Weide business park is an initiative of a number of sustainable entrepreneurs in Utrecht, namely Henk Stamhuis (Stamhuis Groep), Berend Schols (ProfiNRG BV) , Cor bij de Weg (EJP Accountants | advisors) together with Ruben Vrijhoef (Hogeschool Utrecht) and Bert Strijker (EnergieCollectief Utrechtse Bedrijven (ECUB). Together, the entrepreneurs form the “H2 Pioneers. For the technical, economic and sustainable scale-up possibilities and improvement of efficiency, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences is a partner in the project. ECUB, a cooperative that helps entrepreneurs with sustainable measures, is the project’s leader and initiator.
Entrepreneurs jointly own
Entrepreneurs in Utrecht and its surroundings participate in a holding company “H2 Pioneers” and become joint owners of the hydrogen filling station and electrolyzer. They also commit to purchasing one or more hydrogen vehicles. With this project, the initiators aim to solve the chicken-and-egg dilemma surrounding hydrogen refueling stations and hydrogen vehicles. No hydrogen vehicles without a hydrogen refueling station, and vice versa.
Heavy and light transportation
The station will have a 350 bar and a 700 bar refueling facility, allowing both light and heavier vehicles to refuel. Storage in a mobile container additionally allows for the transportation of the hydrogen produced, allowing other customers elsewhere in the city and region to be served. This includes shipping, forklifts and terminal tractors or other transport on own premises.
Planning
A permit process has now begun. Various studies are also being conducted. The electrolyser and hydrogen refueling station at the Lage Weide industrial park are expected to begin operation in late 2021 or early 2022 at the latest. Whether the schedule is met depends in part on the permitting process.
