By Keith Croysdale, European Business Development Manager – Alternative Fuels

The logistics sector has recognised that hydrogen fuel systems have the potential to play a pivotal role in meeting sustainability commitments and there is a great deal of innovation taking place.

When governments first began to set net zero targets, the focus for hydrogen was public transport and road freight, with some automotive design. This has burgeoned, with a growing interest in applying the technology to transport modes that would not have been considered a few years ago – huge leaps have been made to adopt cleaner fuel to power buses, trains, trucks, tractors and a range of off-road vehicles and plant machinery. There have also been increasing enquiries in recent years from marine, rail and aviation industry stakeholders keen to explore the fuel’s potential applications.

Suitability of hydrogen for various applications

As the investment in hydrogen continues to grow, it has become apparent that it is currently more suited to some applications than others. For example, hydrogen as fuel for the maritime and aviation sectors is currently a more complex proposition than for on-road as there are completely different regulatory landscapes, while rail presents operational, commercial and design concerns.

Embedding hydrogen in the aerospace sector also remains a challenge, although an area that should not be overlooked is the vehicles, equipment and plant around the aircraft itself. Collectively, they are an important part of the puzzle in reducing the carbon impact of aerospace.

This means targeting hydrogen to power the tug that brings the aircraft to the gate, the auxiliary generator keeping power to the plane while it’s being fuelled, the buses that transport the passengers around terminals, the baggage vehicles that move luggage into the hold, and more. These are more common applications and can be implemented with far less development.

Hydrogen fuel systems safety and standards

High-pressure hydrogen cylinders are designed to meet strict performance requirements and are tested against major regulations and standards. Generally, these cylinders undergo a strict testing regime, for example: extreme temperature testing, drop and impact testing, gunfire testing, fatigue cycle, and burst testing.

While there are regulations in place – Luxfer was one of the first manufacturers to achieve approval for Regulation No R134, a global safety regulation which highlights that cylinders are safe for use in hydrogen-powered vehicles across a wide range of applications – it is important to note that not all hydrogen cylinders in the market meet the required standards.

Despite cylinders meeting regulatory requirements and undergoing rigorous testing, across the general public there can be a challenging rhetoric around the safety of hydrogen, with the general perception being that it presents a substantial risk.

Establishing clear guidelines and regulations across the entire supply chain and addressing concerns related to safety is vital for nurturing confidence in hydrogen systems among companies who may be looking to invest in greener, more sustainable solutions as part of their carbon reduction strategies.

With a growing hydrogen economy, we hope misplaced safety fears will be set aside and importantly, that there will be a proper infrastructure and regulations in place that will allow the potential of hydrogen to be fully realised.

Infrastructure and accessibility

A challenge preventing the wide-scale adoption of hydrogen is that there is still some way to go to make the fuel more accessible.

Widespread adoption of the gas, not just in the logistics sector, but across the wider industry, is hinged on the development of fuelling infrastructure, meaning that the development thereof is key. While some progress has been made, continued efforts are required to create a comprehensive and accessible hydrogen infrastructure.

One way to address the hydrogen infrastructure deficit by developing bulk gas transport systems (BGT). These ‘virtual gas pipelines’ can help connect the dots between hydrogen production and consumption by bridging the gap between the point of production and the point of use.

They allow operators to decarbonise transport while providing the means to move the gas in a scalable way. Crucially, they offer a stepping stone until dedicated pipeline infrastructure is established and can provide either temporary or permanent solutions to delivery or capacity difficulties. That said, the long-term future of hydrogen fuel systems for transportation will likely involve a combination of physical and virtual pipelines, with each solution utilised to meet different needs across the supply chain.

Once physical pipelines are established – according to National Gas Transmission, approximately 2,000km of the existing gas network is expected to be repurposed into a 100% hydrogen ‘backbone network’ by the early 2030s – it is unlikely to result in a retraction of virtual gas pipeline. Instead, the latter will likely be redeployed to best service the first and final miles of distribution.

Storage solutions

Modular solutions play a vital role in driving adoption of hydrogen fuel. Systems comprising interconnected, stacked cylinders, known as multiple cylinder packages (MCPs), can store gas in a smaller footprint compared to other available options.

A practical and efficient storage solution, MCPs are used where hydrogen is required to be fed at a regular flow rate and pressure without an interruption. They reduce the need to manage cylinder stocks and eliminate time lost in cylinder changeover and handling, as well as gas wastage.

These cylinder packages come into their own for mobility and portability – they can generally be seamlessly slotted into an existing structure and onto trucks and trailers – enabling hydrogen to be transported via trucks, ships, or rail to different locations. The technology especially suits marine applications, construction vehicles, running generators or even to fill test vehicles where a refueller or large storage may be deemed too costly for the small amount of gas required to check a fuel cell is working correctly.