Daimler Truck, Linde unveil new hydrogen refueling technology

Both companies have jointly developed subcooled liquid hydrogen, enabling lower costs and faster refueling currently available at a recently opened public fuel station.

Daimler Truck and Linde Engineering have jointly developed sLH2, a new process for handling subcooled liquid hydrogen.

Compared to gaseous hydrogen, this approach allows for a higher storage density, a greater range, faster refueling, lower costs and superior energy efficiency. Refueling takes around ten to fifteen minutes for a 40-ton heavy-duty truck, carrying 80 kg of liquid hydrogen for a range of 1,000 kilometers and more.

“This and further advantages make sLH2 a practical, CO2-neutral alternative to diesel in the heavy-duty vehicle sector. The technology we have developed with Daimler Truck will help pave the way for the development of a robust refueling network, which is essential to keep vehicles moving and supply chains intact,” said Juergen Nowicki, Executive Vice President Linde plc and CEO of Linde Engineering.

At the same time, the new sLH2 technology lowers the required investment for a hydrogen refueling station by a factor of two to three, and operational costs are five to six times lower. The companies have made available the technology at their recently inaugurated station in the German city of Wörth am Rhein.

“We now call on other OEMs and infrastructure companies to follow our approach and jointly make this technology an industry standard,” added Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and responsible for Truck Technology.

Daimler Truck and Linde Engineering aim to make sLH2 the leading hydrogen refueling technology for heavy-duty trucks. The technology has been standardized in an open ISO process and is available to all interested parties.