Local Initiative Brings Hydrogen Filling Station to Braunschweig

Braunschweig — Success for the initiative for climate-consciousness in Braunschweig (“Initiative klimabewusster Braunschweiger”), which has advocated the construction of a hydrogen (H2) filling station in the region: One of the first 100 H2 stations in Germany will be integrated into Shell’s filling station at Hamburger Strasse 211. The operator consortium H2 MOBILITY Deutschland is set to commence construction this summer.

Hydrogen is used to refuel electric vehicles equipped with fuel cells. The benefits: no noise, no pollutants, but the same uses, speed and range as conventional vehicles with petrol or diesel engines. Hydrogen vehicles have a range of 500 to 800 kilometres and can be refuelled within just three minutes at filling stations, as is the case with other traditional vehicles. The plant in Braunschweig is being built with technology from gas and technology specialist Air Liquide.

The network of stations at which fuel cell vehicles can refuel with hydrogen is increasing in density. At present, 62 such filling stations exist in Germany, including stations in Hanover, Wolfsburg and Magdeburg, for example. By the end of 2019 there should already be 100, and more will follow. The selected location at the Shell filling station Hamburger Strasse 211 is conveniently located close to the A2 motorway and is thus a link on the Berlin – Ruhr and Berlin – Kassel corridors.

Support for the construction of the filling station came from the local automobile developer IAV GmbH, WiTech, Forschungsflughafen Braunschweig GmbH, Veolia, Braunschweig Technical University, the Lower Saxony Automotive Research Centre, the Braunschweig location of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the municipal economic development agency Braunschweig Zukunft GmbH.

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI – Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur) is funding the construction of the hydrogen facility with funds of around 950,000 euros as part of the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP 2).

The shareholders of the H2 MOBILITY operator consortium are Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and Total. BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen as well as NOW GmbH advise H2 MOBILITY as associated partners.