At present, there are about 90 Hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) in operation in Germany - mainly in conurbations or along long-distance travel routes or the German Autobahnen. An additional 30 refuelling stations are being planned or are currently in the approval procedure. By the end of 2020, more than 120 refuelling stations should be in operation. The construction of a HRS is a particular challenge due to the federal system in Germany, since the approval for construction and operation is a federal state matter and, above all, the regulations for construction vary significantly from one federal state to another.
The number of hydrogen-powered or fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) is also growing. Since 2010, a total of around 725 new registered FCEVs have been registered in Germany, with an upward trend. In 2019 the number was about 210 FCEVs. One of them has been registered for IZES gGmbH since March 2019. The picture shows the vehicle in February 2020 during refuelling at the HRS, which recently opened in the city of Rastatt. Due to the higher number of refuelling stations expected in the short to medium term, also outside the conurbations, it is expected that registrations of FCEVs will also continue to increase.
Dr. Bodo Groß
IZES gGmbH