toyota hydrogen

Toyota Motor Europe has signed an agreement with Hydrogen Refueling Solutions (HRS) and ENGIE with the aim of rolling out the next-generation of hydrogen refuelling systems.

The new solution, which is said to be fast and cost efficient, will be piloted in an EU-funded RHeaDHy project that focuses on accelerating infrastructure deployment.

One of the challenges for expanding hydrogen supply infrastructure is the need for hydrogen dispensers that can refuel both light-duty and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles faster.

The new Twin Mid Flow Technology addresses this by incorporating a higher-flow dual nozzle, allowing one hydrogen dispenser to refuel heavy-duty vehicles in less than 10 minutes and light-duty vehicles in less than five minutes. This eliminates the need for two different types of dispensers at each refuelling station.

The practical benefit is that a 40-tonne truck will be able to refuel for a 600km range in just eight minutes and for a 900km range in only 12 minutes.

The companies say the installation cost of such hydrogen refuelling stations will be significantly lower, which will help accelerate their deployment in line with the target set out by the European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) to deploy publicly accessible hydrogen stations at every 200km along the TEN-T networks by 2030.

Through the new agreement, Toyota will provide a test bench and a truck equipped with the Twin Mid Flow Technology. Hydrogen Refueling Solutions and ENGIE will develop new-generation hydrogen refuelling stations compatible with this innovation, which will be tested in the RHeaDHy project later this year.

Thiebault Paquet, vice president R&D, Toyota Motor Europe, says: “To contribute to the growth of hydrogen ecosystems, Toyota is already working with business partners who are innovating a wide range of zero carbon emission applications using our advanced fuel cell systems. Development of the Twin Mid Flow Technology is a next step in our effort to stimulate the growth of hydrogen ecosystems.”

Hassen Rachedi, CEO and founder of Hydrogen Refueling Solutions, adds: “This strategic partnership with Toyota Motor Europe and ENGIE marks a decisive step in hydrogen refuelling infrastructure innovation. By combining our expertise, we will accelerate the roll-out of hydrogen stations across Europe and the world, reducing refuelling times and making stations more accessible and cost-effective. Together, we are laying the foundations for a future in which hydrogen will play a central role in decarbonising transport worldwide.”

• Hydrogen Refuelling Solutions is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-capacity hydrogen refuelling stations. HRS offers a complete range of modular and scalable stations, manufactured on its site in Grenoble, France. Its premises include a test area, the only one of its kind in Europe, to test and trial the range of stations and develop future products and solutions for the hydrogen mobility market.

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