Axpo, a Swiss renewable energy company, intends to generate green hydrogen using the Rhine River’s power.
Axpo will commission the first of many hydrogen manufacturing facilities at the Eglisau-Glattfelden hydropower plant in Switzerland in the coming years.
The 2.5-megawatt hydrogen production plant, which is set to open in autumn 2022, will deliver about 350 tonnes of green hydrogen each year. This would save the road transportation industry over 1.5 million litres of diesel fuel each year.
If demand for hydrogen continues to rise as predicted, plant capacity can be doubled to 5 megawatts. The production facility’s direct access to the power plant would ensure climate neutral hydrogen production.
As the hydrogen eco-system in the mobility field develops in Switzerland, Axpo is collaborating with Hydrospider to sell the hydrogen generated at the Eglisau-Glattfelden power plant, supplying the hydrogen directly from the processing facility to a network of filling stations.
In Switzerland, there are now more than 50 trucks fueled by hydrogen fuel cells on the road. According to Hydrospider, there will be over 1,600 by 2026. The network of hydrogen filling stations will also expand dramatically over the next two years, from six to about 50.