A second pan-European deployment of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and passenger and commercial fuel cell electric vehicles has been launched. 

The six-year H2ME 2 project brings together 37 partners from across Europe.  It will include the deployment and operation of 1,230 fuel cell vehicles, the addition of 20 extra hydrogen-refuelling stations (HRS) to the European network and will test the ability of electrolyser-HRS to help balance the electrical grid. 

The H2ME 2 project takes its name from Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME), a collaboration between national H2 Mobility initiatives from across Europe which aims to coordinate European activities and helps support the early roll-out of hydrogen vehicles across Europe.

The £790 million H2ME 2 project, funded with a further £27 million grant from the FCH JU, will significantly expand the European hydrogen vehicles fleet and in so doing, aims to confirm the technical and commercial readiness of vehicles, fuelling stations and hydrogen production techniques.  

Together the H2ME 1 and H2ME 2 projects demonstrate the breadth and depth of the commitment to hydrogen-fuelled road transport as a pan-European solution to the need to have viable, competitive, alternatives to fossil fuels.  

Ben Madden, director of Element Energy and project coordinator for H2ME 1 and H2ME 2, said: “Our aim has been to help bring the key businesses and public bodies investing in hydrogen mobility in Europe together to work on the common goal of making hydrogen-fuelled transport a reality in Europe.

“Hydrogen Mobility Europe will demonstrate the use of hydrogen in the hands of a wide range of vehicle drivers from across Europe all of whom value the long range, low carbon and low emission driving offered by the technology. Understanding these customers will allow the sector to plan for the accelerated deployment of this important technology.”