Frankenthal, 08.05.2024 | H2 MOBILITY Deutschland and BASF are jointly investing in the construction of an H2 refuelling station in Frankenthal. With the delivery of important core components, a milestone has been reached on the way to completing the plant. In the presence of Frankenthal’s Lord Mayor Dr Nicolas Meyer, the project partners have now presented the construction progress of the new H2 refuelling station in Frankenthal. Commissioning is planned for the fourth quarter of 2024. A public hydrogen refuelling station is being built next to the BASF site in Frankenthal. In future, cars and light commercial vehicles (700 bar) as well as trucks and buses (350 bar) will be able to refuel here. The centrepiece of the refuelling station is the compressor and two medium and high-pressure storage tanks, which were delivered this week. Until the planned opening at the end of 2024, the technical components of the facility will be prepared for public use in a commissioning process lasting several months, including refuelling tests. ‘The construction of the hydrogen refuelling station in Frankenthal is an important milestone in the mobility and climate transition for our city. I am delighted that this project will also make the hydrogen refuelling station available to the citizens of Frankenthal and the surrounding area. This hydrogen refuelling station is also an essential pin on the logistics map for our business location,’ says Lord Mayor of Frankenthal Dr Nicolas Meyer.
High-capacity H2 refuelling station in Rhineland-Palatinate
A daily capacity of 700 to 800 kilograms of hydrogen is planned for the first expansion stage, which corresponds to more than 30 trucks or buses. H2 MOBILITY, the builder and operator of the refuelling station, plans to double the capacity in a second expansion phase by 2027. ‘Demand for heavy goods transport will also increase significantly in this region. That’s why we are building new sites like the one in Frankenthal a lot bigger than a few years ago. In future, up to three vehicles will be able to refuel here at the same time, including buses and trucks at 350 bar and light commercial vehicles and cars at 700 bar. We are delighted that a state-of-the-art, high-performance refuelling station of this size will soon be in operation in Rhineland-Palatinate,’ says Martin Jüngel, Managing Director and CFO of H2 MOBILITY Deutschland. BASF will invest proportionately in the planned 350-bar module as part of the project. The company’s aim is to help initiate a cross-sector hydrogen economy in the region. ‘CO2-free hydrogen is an integral part of our energy transformation at the Ludwigshafen site,’ emphasises Tilmann Hezel, Senior Vice President Infrastructure at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site. ‘At the same time, hydrogen and a sufficient H2 infrastructure are fundamental for a shift towards alternative drive systems. We want to utilise this intersection: With projects such as the H2 refuelling station, but also the water electrolyser currently under construction, we want to support regional mobility as well as our suppliers and transport companies at the site in switching to vehicles with fuel cell drives.’