Persistent Hydrogen Shortage Disrupts Daily Commutes and Operations

The aftermath of the hydrogen tanker truck incident on August 26 in Leuna has severely impacted hydrogen supply across Germany. The incident, which resulted in a trailer fire, has led to an ongoing investigation and the temporary shutdown of similar trailers by gas producer Linde, exacerbating supply issues.

Hydrogen filling stations, particularly in areas around Berlin, have been unable to provide hydrogen due to the constrained market and logistical challenges in sourcing alternative supplies. H2 Live, which operates a majority of these stations, has cited the situation as a case of force majeure, apologizing for the inconvenience and actively seeking solutions at individual stations.

Wolfgang Paasch, a resident of Potsdam, expressed his difficulties to regional broadcaster RBB24, highlighting the personal impact of the shortage. Dependent on his car for shopping and visits to a nursing home, Paasch noted the lack of hydrogen availability has forced him to check station availability multiple times daily without success. The shortage compelled him to rent a car, incurring significant additional costs.

The bottleneck has primarily affected Berlin and Brandenburg, regions struggling with limited operational hydrogen filling stations. H2 Mobility, managing these stations, has established an emergency stock but faces challenges due to the small market and the difficulty in finding alternative suppliers. Press spokeswoman Daniela Dietz emphasized the severity of the situation, with many hydrogen producers bound by long-term contracts and limited production capabilities.

Linde Explosion Impact

At least 23 of the country’s 83 H2 fueling stops are currently out of operation, largely due to a lack of H2 as the investigation continues into the August truck trailer explosion. The incident, which occurred at Linde’s facility at the Leuna Chemical Park, involved a suspected, unexplained H2 leak. Fortunately, no one was injured in the deflagration, but all trailers of the same type have been taken out of circulation until the cause of the leak has been unidentified and a potential remedy deployed.

As of yesterday evening, according to the H2.live website, there were 12 filling stations that had run out of fuel due to the supply problem, with another two listed as running out of fuel without attributing blame, while a further three were listed as out of service and unable to resupply due to the Leuna issue. In addition, one Shell refueling station in the central German town of Braunschweig had run out of 350-bar hydrogen (the pressure largely used by heavy-duty vehicles) but had not quite run out of 700-bar H2 used by cars.

The situation is particularly severe in Berlin, where all five of its H2 stations were out of action yesterday evening due to the supply problem, as well as the only two other hydrogen filling pumps within 100km. Drivers in Berlin would have to drive more than 150km to the nearest working H2 station, in Magdeburg, to refuel their vehicles.

“Due to an accident at the hydrogen filling station in Leuna, we are currently unable to provide hydrogen at the station,” says a message attached to all the affected stations on H2.live’s up-to-date map showing the location and status of each of the stops. “Replacement deliveries are currently not possible due to the resulting shortage in the market and the long distances to other hydrogen sources. We have a force majeure situation. We are making every effort to find solutions at individual stations. We apologize for the situation.”

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