Two projects led by Air Liquide, Hype and HyAMMED, were awarded in January 2020 by ADEME (French Environment & Energy Management Agency) as part of the second closing of its “Hydrogen Mobility Ecosystems” call for proposals.
Selected by ADEME, Hype is the world’s first fleet of zero-emission hydrogen-powered taxis. Launched during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, it now has around 100 vehicles. The “2020 HYPE 600” project aims to reach the 600-taxi mark by the end of 2020. Toyota will thus deliver 500 additional Mirai, which will supplement the existing fleet. At the same time, HysetCo, which includes Air Liquide, Idex, Kouros, the Société du Taxi Électrique Parisien (STEP) and Toyota, will invest in local hydrogen production facilities based on electrolysis, which will make it possible to supply 3 new hydrogen stations (HRS) in addition of those already in operation. Through this project, the partners wish to demonstrate the relevance of hydrogen mobility for intensive applications such as passenger transport.
Another award-winning initiative supported by Air Liquide is HyAMMED (Hydrogen in Aix-Marseille for an Ecological and Sustainable Mobility). The aim of this project is to operate hydrogen trucks for long-distance transport of goods in the South-East of France. The partners thus intend to test this heavy transport solution by using low carbon hydrogen co-produced in the Marseille-Fos port area. The challenge of this project is to validate the maturity and reliability of this innovative logistics transport solution. It will reduce emissions by more than 2,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of the annual emissions of more than 700 sedan cars.
A total of 10 initiatives have been selected by ADEME. The “Hydrogen Mobility Ecosystems” call for proposals, the first wave of which was launched by ADEME in October 2018, is part of the Hydrogen Deployment Plan for Energy Transition and aims to deploy territorial hydrogen mobility ecosystems based on fleets of commercial vehicles.
According to the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, all of the projects selected by ADEME will lead to the deployment of more than 43 hydrogen stations and 158 heavy-duty vehicles.
Air Liquide’s commitment to hydrogen energy
In the past 50 years, Air Liquide has developed unique expertise enabling it to master the entire hydrogen supply chain, from production and storage to distribution and the development of applications for end-users, thus contributing to the widespread use of hydrogen as a clean energy source, for mobility in particular. Air Liquide has designed and installed more than 120 stations around the world to date. Hydrogen is an alternative to meet the challenge of clean transportation and thus contributes to the improvement of air quality. Used in a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, emitting only water. It does not generate any pollution at the point of use: zero greenhouse gases, zero particles and zero noise. Hydrogen provides a concrete response to the challenges posed by sustainable mobility and local pollution in urban areas.
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