How emission-free heavy transport with hydrogen can become a reality for long-distance routes was demonstrated by Miriam Theis, Business Development Manager Hydrogen for Mobility at Air Products GmbH, in her presentation on May 2, 2025, at the "Truck & Bus" stage of the Conference Days. The focus was on current projects for the development of a European hydrogen fueling station network, specific production plans for green hydrogen, and strategic responses to the challenges of infrastructure.
Theis emphasized: The switch to hydrogen in the transport sector is feasible—both technically and in terms of supply security. From around 2026/2027, a new production facility in Saudi Arabia with a planned electrolysis capacity of 2.2 GW is expected to produce
up to 600 tons of green hydrogen daily from water. Additionally, a facility for the production of liquid hydrogen is being built in Rotterdam, which is expected to double the European supply. The goal is to build a network of filling stations along the TEN-T corridors, in compliance with EU regulation AFIR, which mandates stations every 200 kilometers with at least 700 bar and a daily capacity of 1 ton.
Obstacles on the Road to a Hydrogen Economy in Transport
Accompanying surveys among the participants, however, showed a certain disillusionment: The majority rate the development of hydrogen mobility and infrastructure in their own company as unchanged or worse compared to the previous year. Theis confirmed this
impression—progress on large projects requires persistence. Nevertheless, political pressure from the European Green Deal, Fit-for-55, and rising toll fees on diesel trucks is a significant driver of the transformation.
Compared to electromobility, hydrogen trucks particularly score in terms of range and frequency: While battery-electric vehicles sometimes need recharging after just 300 kilometers, H2 combustion engines reach 600 kilometers, and fuel cell vehicles even reach 1,000 kilometers—with a refueling time of only 12 to 15 minutes. The H2 expert advocates for the right technology for the specific application.
Fundamentally, hydrogen technology in transport is currently stuck in a chicken-and-egg problem. The government needs to set stronger incentives here, similar to electromobility, to justify the high initial investments.
China, and also the Netherlands, are doing many things right in this regard.
Digital Forum for Logistics Decision-Makers
The session took place within the framework of the Conference Days 2025—a purely digital B2B event hosted by HUSS-VERLAG, held for the fifth time from May 12 to 15, 2025, on CONFERENCE-DAYS.de. Already in 2024, over 1,100 participants used the online format to inform themselves in 30 live sessions about current developments in logistics, transportation, and commercial vehicle technology. The platform offers not only knowledge transmission but also numerous digital opportunities for networking and exchange between participants and partners.
Further information and the current program of the Conference Days can be found under https://conference-days.de/. Expired sessions are available
