740 Hydrogen trucks to be deployed in the Nordic Region by 2025 and 12.550 by 2030. That is the vision in the last Next Wave report looking into the current status, ambitions and recommended actions to stimulate the demand for hydrogen trucks in the Nordic Region. The report is the eighth report in a series studying the potential of hydrogen trucks in the Nordic countries, laying the foundations for innovation actions now in progress.
The aim of the Next Wave project (Next Nordic Green Transport Wave) is to stimulate the infrastructure and demand for hydrogen trucks in the Nordic countries. The project is split into two phases:
- The knowledge building phase (Next Wave phase 1)
- The innovative phase (Next Wave phase 2)
“When we speak about mobility and transport, we need to look into cross-border solutions. The Nordic countries must cooperate to facilitate transport with hydrogen across the borders”.
Nina Egeli, Senior Adviser, Nordic Innovation
Barriers for hydrogen trucks in the Nordics
The ambitions for CO2 reduction from transport in the Nordic countries are high, and the transition to zero and low emission solutions has already started. Hydrogen trucks are currently being developed by several companies, and at the same time companies are ready to produce and operate hydrogen stations. An advanced hydrogen technology making it possible to refuel a truck in only 15 minutes as well as increased political willingness to explore different technologies and diversified solutions are among the drivers behind the current development.
“When we started this project, there was limited focus on hydrogen in the Nordics. Now hydrogen has become a part of the future”.
Nina Egeli, Senior Adviser, Nordic Innovation
However, there are still obstacles to overcome, and the report points out two main barriers which need to be worked on for the Nordic countries to lead the way on zero-emission heavy-duty transport.
Cross-border infrastructure: Only a few hydrogen stations are currently available across the Nordic countries. The infrastructure and trucks need to be developed in a coordinated way so that the refueling stations are available before the trucks arrive.
Financial barrier: To stimulate the demand for hydrogen trucks in the Nordics, the cost of ownership must be lowered. At the moment, the cost of a hydrogen truck is 3-5 times more than the cost of a diesel truck.
Financial support and polluter-should-pay principles among the recommendations
The Nordic Region has the potential to lead the way on deployment of hydrogen trucks, and early deployment will provide good opportunities for the Nordic hydrogen industry to take positions on the global market. This requires ambitious policies and good framework conditions from the authorities. To stimulate the demand of hydrogen trucks in the Nordics, the report summarizes a range of recommendations and measures to meet the current barriers.
“This project is a perfect example of Nordic Added Value and how important it is that a Nordic value chain come together to take part in the process. It is fantastic that experts from the industry are coming with recommendations. At the end of the day, they know best”.
Nina Egeli, Senior Adviser, Nordic Innovation
Among the recommendations are financial measures such as funding for the acquisition of hydrogen trucks and funding from national agencies to support the establishment of a hydrogen station network in the Nordic Region. The report also recommends increased annual fee for diesel trucks and increased CO2 taxes, exemption on road toll and ferries for hydrogen trucks, and a polluter-should-pay principle on zero-emission road transport.
Bus lanes or zero-emission lanes and reserved parking for hydrogen trucks are also recommended, and the report highlights the importance of bringing players from the entire value chain together for a coordinated investment.
The previous reports describe facts and findings upon which the recommendations have been built.
The innovative phase
The Next Wave project is now stepping into phase two – the innovative - and concrete initiatives to further stimulate hydrogen heavy-duty transport in the Nordic Region will be developed based on the current studies and recommended actions.
Background
The Next Wave project (Next Nordic Green Transport Wave) focuses on providing infrastructure for a large-scale deployment of hydrogen trucks, buses, and lorries. The goal is to stimulate the global technological lead, which the Nordic countries have by stimulating the very first hydrogen infrastructure roll-out for larger vehicles while at the same time map how the infrastructure build-up needs to be done, so that the transition to hydrogen vehicles can happen smoothly.
Project Partners
Norwegian Hydrogen Forum
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Hydrogen Danmark
New Energy Iceland
Hydrogen Sweden
