Long before city dwellers complained about air pollution and carbon emissions, they complained about the piles of manure that lined the streets and attracted clouds of flies. In the 19th century, horse-drawn vehicles were used to transport goods over long distances. While carbon emissions were practically nil, horse manure was a major sticking point.
It was high on the agenda during the First International Urban Planning Congress in New York in 1898. Unfortunately, there was no solution to the horse pollution crisis.
Eventually, horses were replaced by other means of transportation made possible by the combustion engine, where one type of pollution was replaced by another.
From horses to horsepower
It’s been a long journey from there to here. However, the transport sector continues to create a huge amount of pollution, with road transport accounting for around a fifth of total CO2 emissions in the EU.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy vehicles such as freight and waste trucks, as well as buses and coaches, is a priority. This sector, which is responsible for a quarter of EU carbon dioxide emissions from road transport, saw emissions rise by 29% between 1990 and 2019.
Moreover, emissions from trucks are expected to grow as a proportion of the total, said Andrew Flagg, senior consultant and project manager at Element Energy, part of a multinational environmental resource management consulting firm. This is due to the advancement of other vehicles in low-emission technology, through the likes of traditional electric batteries in cars.
“With decarbonisation now at a significant pace for cars and buses, the share of heavy goods vehicles in terms of emissions will grow,” he said. “There is therefore a particular need to accelerate the decarbonization of these vehicles.”
But trucks face challenges when it comes to using electric power compared to lighter vehicles. “The problem is that this sector is particularly difficult to decarbonize,” Flagg said.
For example, the long distances that trucks need to travel create issues regarding how often batteries need to be charged, how quickly they can be charged, as well as the available charging infrastructure. Truck batteries can also be heavy and large, which affects the amount of cargo that can be transported and how far they can travel before needing to be recharged.
Harnessing hydrogen
One answer is to use hydrogen energy, using a process in which hydrogen gas and oxygen are fed into a fuel cell to produce electricity. “With the higher energy density with hydrogen, you can have fewer batteries in the truck,” Flagg said. “This enables you to travel longer distances and handle heavier payloads.”
Hydrogen-powered vehicles can quickly refuel within minutes. “As a fleet operator, you don’t want to spend a long time charging a vehicle,” Flagg said. “Hydrogen enables you to refuel faster and therefore gives you operational flexibility.”
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H2Haul is the next step in terms of truck deployment by European manufacturers and increasing the number of trucks being developed.
Andrew Flagg, H2Haul
Although this technology has shown promising results, so far it has tended to be deployed at smaller demonstrations with limited numbers of trucks, Flagg said. The H2Haul project he leads plans to take things to the next level by deploying a fleet of 16 new heavy-duty trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
It will be launched in Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland in cooperation with two major European truck manufacturers, IVECO and VDL. The performance of this technology will be evaluated by driving trucks more than one million kilometers during normal operations.
The first trucks will be on the road in the coming months, and all are expected to be in service by the end of 2023. Performance data will then be collected and analysed.
16 trucks, 6 refueling stations
“H2Haul is groundbreaking in that it has 16 trucks,” Flagg said. “I would say it’s the next step in terms of truck deployment by European manufacturers, increasing the number of trucks being developed, and deploying fleets in a range of different countries and operating environments.”
To prove its viability, H2Haul is also developing six hydrogen fueling stations. Two are already operational in Switzerland, while others are expected to be operational in Belgium and France in the coming months, and two in Germany by the end of 2023.
Researchers are now using a similar approach with waste collection trucks. The REVIVE project is integrating fuel cell technology into 14 refuse trucks operating under real-world conditions for at least two years at a total of 8 sites in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden.
With waste trucks, smaller manufacturers have tended to deploy hydrogen technology so far, said Dimitri van den Borre, project manager at engineering firm Tractibile in Brussels, Belgium, and head of the REVIVE project. “What we need is for larger manufacturers to enter this market,” he said.
Benefits of waste
The use of technology in waste trucks is expected to have many advantages. The first is that they tend to drive a pre-determined route from a single depot. “The vehicles operate within a confined area, and at this early stage of hydrogen rollout, such operations are advantageous because they do not require many refueling stations,” Van den Borre said.
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It’s not just about dropping the truck and the keys off with the driver, it’s about getting them involved in the process.
Dimitri van den Borre, revival
Garbage trucks also often operate in urban areas with poor air quality and are highly visible to the public. This means that residents will get to experience the benefits of pollution and noise reduction first-hand.
Furthermore, organic waste from incinerators can be used to generate hydrogen, creating a circular “waste-to-wheels” model. The excess energy can be used to power other vehicles or industrial applications.
At present, REVIVE has five trucks on the road that have traveled more than 13,500 kilometers in total so far. However, Van den Borre said operational data was limited in the early stages and more comprehensive results would likely start to emerge from next summer.
However, the trucks perform well. “It’s a better driving environment, and it produces less noise than traditional waste collection trucks,” he said, adding that the reaction from drivers has been positive so far. I think overall they are very happy with the trucks and technology. On a technological level, everything is fine and the trucks are doing what they should be doing.
Achieve traction
But a variety of challenges remain at this stage of development. Van den Borre listed the lack of regulation and guidance on truck maintenance, as well as the current limited number of hydrogen-equipped truck depots as issues.
However, the industry called for an expansion of its scope, while the European Union moved to accelerate hydrogen development in October. Adopting rules to stimulate alternative refueling infrastructure, MEPs called for hydrogen refueling stations to be installed every 100 kilometers by 2028 – increasing the previous target of one station every 150 kilometers by 2031.
Van den Borre believes projects like REVIVE could open the door to larger initiatives, which could see the hydrogen truck market properly take off over the next decade. He added that to enhance the traction power of hydrogen fuel cell technology in trucks, the drivers themselves should not be forgotten.
“It’s not just about dropping the truck and the keys off with the driver, it’s about getting them involved in the process,” he said. “You have to find motivated people, engage with them early and set their expectations right.”
The H2Haul project received funding from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The REVIVE project has received funding from the Joint Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Project 2 (now known as the Clean Hydrogen Partnership). If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.
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