Hydrogen is Ideal for Emissionless Haulage
62 ǀ POSITIV HYDROGEN
VODÍK
Hydrogen is Ideal
for Emissionless Haulage
The South Korean automove company, Hyundai, is among the world’s leader in hydrogen
technologies and their applicaons in transportaon. Other than the NEXO, which is available on
the Czech market, the company also oers soluons for other branches of transportaon, such
as freight or bus transport. “Hydrogen fuel cells have certain undeniable advantages in haulage,”
Marek Trešl, Markeng and Product Director at Hyundai Motor Czech, said.
In the near future, do you think vehicles
are more likely to be powered by batteries
or by hydrogen?
When it comes to personal vehicles
like cars, most of us will likely be driving
electric vehicles powered by batteries. On
the other hand, when it comes to utility
vehicles, buses, and other transportation
and machinery, I am convinced that
hydrogen will take over. I believe this to be
the case because hydrogen offers certain
advantages when used in utility vehicles
that see long term intensive usage.
What industrial fields will make use
of hydrogen?
Many different branches of industry are
beginning to make use of hydrogen.
Other than the aforementioned logistics
and public transport, energetics is a field
that is bound to sway towards hydrogen.
Hyundai has already deployed
a fleet of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks
in Switzerland. What are the
developments with this project?
Since the project's launch in 2020, the fleet
has expanded to include 50 completely
emissionless cargo trucks that have now
reached a collective mileage of 7 million
kilometers. The entire project is designed
to be an enclosed cycle that produces
green hydrogen through energy from
hydroelectric power plants. This hydrogen
is then used in favor of Swiss customers,
which are most commonly retail chains, or
the logistics companies that work with those
chains, allowing them to distribute their
goods without emissions, with lower noise
pollution and at a competitive price.
Is Hyundai the only company behind this
Swiss project?
Hyundai is the central operator of
the project, however, multiple companies
from various fields are collaborating in order
to make it what it is. These collaborating
companies include a local producer
of green hydrogen from renewable
sources, a company that provides vehicle
maintenance, a tire producer, an insurance
company, and others.
Is it realistic to expect something similar
to come to the Czech Republic?
It would probably take quite a while,
as realizing a similar model here would
prove very financially taxing. Due to
the uniqueness of the hydrogen fuel
cell technology, the price of a hydrogen
vehicle is several times larger than
a regular diesel truck, which means that
without a substantial subsidy, this would
prove too much of a financial burden
to service providers and operators. In
addition, fueling the truck would also
prove to be more expensive. When
taking into account current hydrogen
prices and the average consumption of
8 kilograms per 100 kilometers, operating
a hydrogen truck would prove more costly
than a diesel truck. All of this is to say that
sustainably replacing diesel trucks with
hydrogen powered ones would require
subsidies not only for the purchase of the
truck, but also for its fuel.
How come this project worked in
Switzerland then?
What I said about price comparisons
between the two types of trucks reigns
true in Switzerland as well, however, they
have also successfully implemented a tax
for transport vehicles running on fossil
fuels. The operators of these vehicles have
to pay a certain added tax amount per
ton-kilometer, while vehicles powered by
green hydrogen are completely exempt
“
When taking into
account current hydrogen
prices and the average
consumpon of 8 kilograms
per 100 kilometers, operang
a hydrogen truck would prove
more costly than a diesel
truck. All of this is to say
that sustainably replacing
diesel trucks with hydrogen
powered ones would require
subsidies not only for
the purchase of the truck,
but also for its fuel.
”