Osterholz-Scharmbeck –On Wednesday, August 5, 2020, Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil gave the official go-ahead for the series production of hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles at FAUN in Osterholz-Scharmbeck.
Together with the Osterholzer district administrator Bernd Lütjen, Osterholz-Scharmbeck’s mayor Torsten Rohde, FAUN CEO Patrick Hermanspann, FAUN CFO and honorary president of the IHK Stade Matthias Kohlmann, as well as FAUN partner Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff the Prime Minister, cut the symbolic blue ribbon.
From 2021, garbage trucks and sweepers with the hydrogen drive BLUEPOWER will be mass-produced here. “I am pleased to be able to kick off a forward-looking technology today. Hydrogen vehicles come from Lower Saxony, which will contribute to a climate-neutral infrastructure in the future. “
The BLUEPOWER chassis combine hydrogen fuel cell and battery technology. This modern, climate-neutral drive comes from FAUN from Osterholz-Scharmbeck. Vehicle manufacturers have been dealing with hydrogen technology for years. FAUN CEO Patrick Hermanspann: “Our goal is 100 percent emission-free cities for everyone. I imagine a carefree future. We will only be able to achieve a climate-neutral transport sector with hydrogen. Hydrogen is the new oil, and we are firmly convinced that within five years we will be able to deliver more hydrogen vehicles than diesel vehicles. ”In August, a hydrogen vehicle will go into real use in Bremen. The first customer vehicles will be delivered in autumn.
Green hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis from renewable energies from wind turbines, photovoltaics or waste incineration plants. The energy from hydrogen is used to drive the vehicles. Advantage hydrogen: it is light and can be used like today’s fuels. Long-lasting battery charges are a thing of the past.
“We are particularly pleased that Prime Minister Stephan Weil is inaugurating our hydrogen production. Because it is unique in Germany. His presence gives our team and their commitment even more impetus, ”says FAUN partner Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff.
The FAUN Group employs more than 2,000 people worldwide, 550 of whom work at the Osterholz-Scharmbeck location. The bodybuilder is one of the leading suppliers of refuse collection vehicles and sweepers in Europe.
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