Research highlights hydrogen adoption challenges
Ninety-three per cent of European public transport decision-makers consulted in new research have expressed concern about the capacity of their grid connection to fuel current and future battery electric or hydrogen-powered fleets, according to engineering specialist IMI which commissioned the study.
Researchers surveyed 300 senior professionals in the public transport sector in the UK, Germany and Italy, all of which have laid out plans to reduce emissions for their bus networks as part of a wider net zero strategy.
But in spite of concerns about grid capacity, 89 per cent of respondents said hydrogen would be effective for overcoming the limitations of battery power, for example in terms of weight, range and grid strain.
“While many hard-to-abate industries have active research and development programmes concerning hydrogen’s use as a fuel, public transport is very well placed to reap the benefits of a potential transition,” said Andrea Pusceddu, business development director for hydrogen at IMI.
“But this by itself isn’t new, and we wanted to find out more. However, there is little publicly available research on the opinions of those with a stake in the success of hydrogen, including public transport operators.
“This research aims to remedy that and has unearthed eye-catching statistics for those involved in the public transport sector and beyond.
“For example, 21 per cent of respondents confirmed they had already purchased hydrogen vehicles, 61 per cent said they would invest in the next two years, and almost three quarters said they expect to grow their hydrogen fleet over the next decade.
“This last finding is particularly interesting as a majority of respondents in each region polled shared this view, further underlining that these sentiments are held across the continent.
“However, only a quarter of respondents said they had access to permanent fuelling infrastructure, demonstrating that clear barriers to adoption remain that need to be explored further.
“Given this situation, on-site generation through decentralised electrolysis is an effective solution to bridge this gap, eliminating the distance between production and end users while allowing transport networks to trial vehicles without fuelling stations.”
Another challenge revealed by the research is the ability to store hydrogen safely, says IMI: a key consideration for adoption of the fuel at scale.
A total of 76 per cent of UK respondents said it was a significant barrier to their deployment of hydrogen-powered vehicles, followed by Italy and Germany at 73 per cent and 66 per cent respectively.
With hydrogen-powered fleets expected to grow, and without large-scale production and distribution infrastructure in place, the report emphasises the importance of decentralised storage and smaller, localised electrolysers in working around these concerns without major intervention.
“Return on investment is important for any organisation, but it takes on greater significance in the public sector, especially when projects are in receipt of funding,” Mr Pusceddu concluded.
“Operators of EVs and hydrogen-powered vehicles not only need to prove hydrogen’s important role in decarbonising transport, but also that vehicles can be fuelled without having to wait for large, centralised production to come online.
“This presents a difficult situation, especially with a lack of in-house expertise in the sector.
“Indeed, this lack of familiarity can be seen in our research, where technical knowledge was the most-cited consideration by the report’s respondents when ordering new vehicles.
“Yet it does leave open the opportunity for closer work with developers of smaller-scale electrolysers, such as IMI. Working this way will minimise risk and allow transport managers to demonstrate the value of hydrogen transport – an important advantage given vehicles are already being ordered.”
The findings have been compiled into ‘The Road Ahead’, a new report from IMI which examines the role of decentralisation in unlocking hydrogen as a public transport fuel.
The report explores how sector stakeholders view hydrogen, and the challenges and steps required for wider adoption of the element as a fuel source for emerging fleets. It also analyses the potential impact of on-site electrolyser technology, says IMI, with specific focus on Europe’s ailing electricity network.
