Hydrospider AG builds hydrogen production plant
Alpiq and H2 Energy are setting a milestone for the development of hydrogen mobility in Switzerland: Switzerland's first plant for the production of hydrogen in commercial operation is to be built at the Gösgen hydroelectric power station.
Alpiq and H2 Energy plan to produce the hydrogen for around 50 fuel cell electric trucks using electricity from hydropower from the end of 2019. The 2 MW plant, which will be located at Alpiq's Gösgen hydroelectric power station, is to be built by Hydrospider AG. Alpiq and H2 Energy hold equal shares in the company. A corresponding building application was submitted to the Niedergösgen municipality at the beginning of July 2019. Commissioning is planned for the end of the year.
Fuel cell electric trucks move quietly. Their ranges and payloads are comparable to diesel trucks. Since they emit only water vapor, they are environmentally friendly and do not emit CO2. Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks therefore play a major role in the decarbonization of heavy-duty transport, provided the hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources.
In the future, Hydrospider plans to produce climate-friendly hydrogen for the first 50 or so of a total of 1,600 fuel cell trucks in Gösgen using electricity from 100 percent hydropower. Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, a joint venture between Hyundai Motors and H2 Energy, will put these on Swiss roads by 2025. (bw)
