Düsseldorf Opens Europe’s Most Powerful Hydrogen Refuelling Station

On 19 May 2025, H2 MOBILITY, together with Rheinbahn and Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, inaugurated Europe’s most powerful hydrogen refuelling station at Höherweg in Düsseldorf. This new site sets a significant milestone for the scaling up of hydrogen mobility, especially for heavy-duty transport.

Key Highlights

• Capacity: Up to 5 tonnes of hydrogen per day, several times higher than standard first-generation stations in Germany.
• Simultaneous Refuelling: Up to three vehicles at once, including buses, trucks, passenger cars, and light commercial vehicles, thanks to patented high-performance technology.
• Technology: High-capacity dispensers at 350, 500, and 700 bar, ensuring short refuelling times and high turnover, critical for heavy-duty fleet operations.
• Green Hydrogen Supply: Initially sourced from certified renewable hydrogen (RFNBO), and starting in 2026, supplied by a local 2 MW electrolyser powered by biogenic waste energy from Düsseldorf’s municipal waste plant.

Strategic Importance

This infrastructure was developed through strong cooperation between public and private stakeholders, including H2 MOBILITY, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, and Rheinbahn. The new station directly supports Düsseldorf’s climate neutrality goal for 2035 and underpins Germany’s broader national ambitions for hydrogen mobility and decarbonisation.

The station, located near Rheinbahn’s Lierenfeld depot, will serve the public transport fleet, which already includes 20 hydrogen buses, as well as heavy trucks and light commercial vehicles.

Policy and Investment Support

The project received €3.1 million for the hydrogen station and €1.2 million for the electrolyser under the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme (NIP2), coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ), with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Transport.

Broader Context

Hydrogen is seen as a critical solution for sectors where battery-electric solutions face technical or operational limitations, such as long-haul freight and heavy-duty public transport. By offering rapid refuelling and long ranges, hydrogen-powered vehicles complement Europe’s broader clean transport transition.

The Düsseldorf station represents a new generation of hydrogen refuelling sites in Europe, designed to meet the needs of both logistics operators and public transport providers. It also signals the continued growth of local hydrogen ecosystems, linking production, distribution, and consumption in a circular, decarbonised system.

Source: H2 MOBILITY, Rheinbahn, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, NOW GmbH 

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.