Powering Sustainable Mobility for Generations to Come

Bus / Public Transport

Bus HRS, RVK (Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH), Cologne, Germany

RVK Köln, Cologne, Germany

Solution: 2 Twin IC 90/60 compressors (approx. 2,000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: 20 busses (350 bar) per day; 10 buses back-to-back

Special features: Indoor refueling, 100% redundancy

First Bus Aberdeen, UK

Solution: 1 Twin IC 90/60 compressor (approx. 1,000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: up to 15 buses (350 bar) evening time, several garbage trucks and passenger cars (both 700 bar) during the day

Special features: With 99,5% availability Europe’s most reliable HRS (HyTransit Report 2019); on-site electrolysis

ESWE, Wiesbaden, Germany

Solution: 1 Twin IC 50/60 compressor (approx. 1,000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: Up to 10 busses (350 bar) in eight hours

Special features: Green hydrogen supplied by Linde from Energiepark Mainz

Linde has successfully built more than 15 hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) for buses worldwide. Thanks to our new modularization concept, our solutions can be efficiently scaled up and out to keep pace with rising demand. Highlights include the highest levels of reliability and availability, great performance, optimized TCO and benchmark safety – at all times. Thanks to our technology, hydrogen-based bus depots already support economically viable back-to-base business cases. Our IC 50-P compressor, for example, enables infrastructure costs of just €1 / kg of H₂ dispensed based on a utilization level of 80% (excluding the cost of the gas).

Looking beyond the cost benefits, hydrogen-powered buses offer a host of additional advantages over battery electric buses, including range, speed of fueling, elimination of heavy batteries and resulting increasing in passenger seating, and more stable performance in fluctuating temperatures.

Trucks / Logistics

EMS / Hyundai, Jeonju, Korea

Solution: 1 Twin IC 90/60 compressor (approx. 1,000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: Up to 12 trucks or city buses (350 bar) during the day; up to 12 passenger cars (700 bar) can be refueled back-to-back

Special features: First station for truck refueling, scalable concept

MPREIS, Völs, Austria

Solution: 1 Twin IC 90/60 compressor (approx. 1,000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: 12 trucks with 30 kg (350 bar) back-to-back in three hours; corresponding to 10 minutes per truck

Special features: First HRS with new CEP fueling protocol (A-Map with B-Map as fallback)

We are paving the way for efficient and more sustainable truck refueling with our high-capacity refueling technologies, supporting both gaseous (GH₂) and liquid (LH₂) refueling modes. Together with our partners, we are delivering groundbreaking milestones for standardized fueling protocols and already working on the next generation of hydrogen refueling technologies for heavy-duty vehicles powered by fuel cells. In collaboration with Daimler Truck AG, one of the world's largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles, we are developing a liquid-to-liquid fueling technology based on subcooled liquid hydrogen (sLH₂) for higher on-board capacity, greater range, faster refueling and superior energy efficiency. The first demo station showcasing this game-changing technology is set to open its doors in 2023.

Public Network Stations

FirstElement Fuels, Fountain Valley, USA

Solution: 1 CP 90/100 pump (LH₂ supply approx. 2,000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: Up to 20 passenger cars (700 bar) in one hour; four in parallel

Special features: Retrofitting of existing gas station in residential area (<40 m² footprint incl. 800 kg LH₂ storage), four fueling points for parallel fueling

SK Group & LG Korea, Daejeon, Korea

Solution: 1 IC 90/30 compressor (LH₂ supply approx. 500 kg/day)

Fueling performance: Up to 90 passenger cars (700 bar) per day, up to six back-to-back, four in parallel, refueling of 700-bar buses also possible

Special features: Refueling of both passenger cars and buses (both 700 bar)

Iwatani Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Solution: 2 x CP 90/100 (more than 3.000 kg/day)

Fueling performance: potentially more than 50 buses (700 bar) and passenger cars (700 bar)

Special features: liquid hydrogen supply; energy efficiency of <1,6 kWh/ kg per pump

Our refueling solutions perfectly match the needs of public network station operators. Small footprints enable hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) to be easily integrated into existing gas stations. Thanks to our proven safety record and the low noise emissions of our stations, these refueling solutions can and have already been successfully deployed in densely populated residential areas. Standout features of our HRS designs include the low level of energy required to power the station. And having already built more than five such stations, we are leading the way for both 700- and 350-bar refueling, thus delivering the highest flexibility for today’s operators.

Special Applications

Daimler, Düsseldorf, Germany

Solution: 1 IC 90/30 compressor (approx. 500 kg/day)

Fueling performance: 30 forklifts (350 bar) per day and up to 20 passenger cars (700 bar)

Special features: Dispensers can be installed at two different, separate locations on site – also indoors – bringing maximum flexibility to sites with larger forklift fleets

Alstom, Bremervörde, Germany

Solution: 3 twin IC 50/60 compressors for world’s first HRS for passenger trains

Fueling performance: 12 passenger trains (130 kg each) per day

Special features: Total amount of H₂ stored on site is 4,590 kg (incl. trailers)

Hydrogen and fuel-cell technology are also gaining traction across a growing number of more specialized applications including trains and forklift trucks. Here too, customers are benefitting from our best-in-class engineering skills for high-capacity, high-complexity refueling solutions. Building on our wider H₂ value chain, we deliver HRS solutions that are a perfect match for all sorts of special and new applications. What’s next in the pipeline you might be wondering? Marine and aviation.

Why Hydrogen?

Decarbonization journey gathers momentum

In the race to decarbonize public transport and mobility in general, hydrogen is emerging as an increasingly promising option – for a variety of reasons. Hydrogen-powered mobility combines zero tailpipe emissions with long ranges, rapid and quiet refueling, robustness to climatic variations, ease of scalability, sourcing flexibility and freedom from the constraints of grid electricity.

Here at Linde, we firmly believe that hydrogen (H₂) is the fuel of choice for urban and longer-distance transport as it combines sustainability with the efficiency needed for the best possible user experience.

Our Technologies and Portfolio

Cryo Pump highlights:
Our Cryo Pump is the solution of choice for liquid hydrogen. The LH₂ flows into the first of two pump chambers at a temperature of −253°C. This two-chamber system is completely immersed in the cryogenic liquid. The upward movement of the piston compresses the hydrogen to approximately 6 bar and simultaneously pumps it into the second chamber. There, it is further compressed to 900 bar, where it becomes gaseous and the right pressure for fueling vehicles. Subsequently, the temperature of the cryogenic gas is increased up to the fueling temperature of −40° C. During all of these process steps, the high purity level of the hydrogen is maintained. In addition to its small footprint and high capacity, the Cryo Pump minimizes the energy required by the fueling station. Because it compresses liquid hydrogen directly, the Cryo Pump only needs 10–20 percent of the energy required by a conventional compressor. The compressed hydrogen flows through a sophisticated cooling system directly into the car. This eliminates the need for an external cooling system for the supply line. And the low-maintenance design cuts operating costs further.

Ionic Compressor highlights:
Designed to handle gaseous hydrogen, our patented Ionic Compressor uses five hydraulic pistons to gradually compress hydrogen to just the right pressure. Hydraulic oil below the pistons enables them to move up and down. Highlights of this compressor include the use of an ionic liquid, which does not bond with the gas. The ionic liquid on top of the pistons is compressed along with the hydrogen as a result of the upward movement. It acts as both a lubricant and coolant, and thus significantly reduces wear and tear. Additionally, the Ionic Compressor has fewer moving parts than a typical piston compressor. The liquid also increases the compressor’s energy efficiency due to better cooling and fewer dead spots during the compression process. At the end of the compression cycle, any ionic liquid molecules in the hydrogen are separated and fed back to the process flow. By eliminating the need for lubricants, the Ionic Compressor protects the hydrogen against the risk of contamination. This ensures high purity levels, making the compressor ideal, for example, for purity-critical fuel-cell applications.

Why Linde?

We deliver end-to-end, fully integrated H₂ refueling stations to meet growing demand for zero-emissions mobility. All of our refueling technologies offer leading performance – both in terms of capacity and energy efficiency over the broadest inlet pressure range available on the market. Highlights include the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO), enabled by low operating costs combined with complementary services such as preventive maintenance, express spare part deliveries, remote troubleshooting and ongoing support.

Customers can also rely on us for benchmark reliability as measured through system availability and the success rate for first fueling attempts. In addition, modularized designs, choice of reliable supply modes (trailer, tank or pipeline), and support for both 350- and 700-bar refueling pressures all take flexibility and scalability to the next level.

Low noise and small footprints further simplify deployment through ease of integration into urban environments. Last but not least, all our compressors and pumps are designed, built and operated to the highest safety standards, reflecting our longest operational experience and type testing history, our robust safety philosophy, and our active role in advancing safety standards.

Complementing our standardized, modularized fueling station systems, our consultants also team up with our customers to realize individual or special requests – whether that be for larger fueling capacities, combined gaseous and liquid fueling models or integration into existing fueling stations.

In short, customers can count on us for everything from the manufacture of dispensers to end-to-end execution of complete fueling stations. Thanks to our global footprint, these services are available worldwide.