H2Accelerate TRUCKS is Europe’s largest EU-funded project for zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell–based heavy-duty transport. Recently, the project consortium was expanded with three new truck manufacturers. This reinforces the industry’s conviction that hydrogen must be adopted as a fuel to meet emission targets and accelerates market implementation.
Altogether, the new consortium aims to put 125 fuel cell trucks into operation in six European countries by 2028, with the first vehicles expected to be on the road already in 2026.
Four truck manufacturers and SINTEF leading the way toward zero emissions
The consortium welcomes Scania CV AB, Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility Germany, and Hyliko as new partners. The addition of these leading truck manufacturers will help maintain momentum in the industry, add further expertise, and ensure continued progress in the project. Volvo Group strengthens its role as a central partner, while Iveco Group and Shell are discontinuing their participation in H2Accelerate TRUCKS.
“SINTEF welcomes the new partners, and we look forward to continuing our coordination and research activities in the project. This project is among SINTEF’s most important contributions to reducing transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in Europe,” says project coordinator Steffen Møller-Holst.
Strengthening the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
The trucks will refuel at a growing network of hydrogen refuelling stations designed for heavy-duty vehicles. Such parallel development of hydrogen stations and truck deployment is essential for the market to grow and function.
The project partners TotalEnergies and Everfuel support the rollout through their deployed refuelling infrastructure. Fuel availability will be further strengthened by the project’s new partner TEAL Mobility, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Air Liquide. The company already operates 15 stations across Europe and aims to become Europe’s leading hydrogen refuelling network for trucks.
These next-generation hydrogen stations will have a capacity of over 1,000 kg per day, enough to refuel 10–20 large trucks daily. Initially, the stations will be concentrated around key industrial regions, before future expansion planned along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN‑T). Where possible, the stations will be supplied with green hydrogen from electrolysers.
Long-haul and shorter distances
Most hydrogen trucks will be equipped with 700‑bar storage systems, giving them a range of more than 600 km. The rollout includes both 41–44‑tonne long-haul semitrailers and trucks for regional distriubution using 350‑bar storage solutions.
More than 20 European transport operators will participate in the deployment, ensuring that the trucks are tested under diverse, real-world operating conditions and providing valuable insights for future commercial rollout.
Opening new opportunities for Norway
Although the project’s trucks will primarily be deployed in countries such as Germany and Switzerland, the project will provide important insights for establishing sustainable energy solutions in Norway as well. Through the project’s reorganisation, it is now also possible that some of the trucks may be demonstrated on Norwegian roads.
Several Norwegian companies depend on breakthroughs in zero-emission transport to meet climate targets, and a key factor is the development of hydrogen refuelling stations. In Central Norway, ASKO has been a pioneer, having introduced hydrogen-powered trucks in the Trondheim region as early as 2020. ASKO is now receiving three new hydrogen trucks from Scania, one of the new suppliers in the H2Accelerate TRUCKS project.
Renewed project commitment
The reorganisation of H2Accelerate TRUCKS reinforces the project’s original goals. The partners commit to:
- Operate on a hydrogen refuelling network designed specifically for zero-emission truck deployment, contribute to increasing the availability of hydrogen and reliability of the European refuelling network.
- Raise awareness of the benefits of using green hydrogen for trucking in Europe and increase public confidence in this technology as a solution for decarbonizing the transport sector.
- Display the viability of hydrogen and fuel-cell trucks as a solution to decarbonizing road freight by analyzing technical, environmental, economic and attitudinal data.
“There must be several solutions in place to reach zero-emission ambitions in the transport sector, and hydrogen is one of the fuels that must be adopted. To succeed, close collaboration between technology suppliers, fuel providers, and research institutions – such as in H2Accelerate TRUCKS – is essential,” says Steffen Møller-Holst.
