The company wants to use the test series to gain clarity on several research objectives: The operational cost of the hydrogen truck, in comparison to Diesel and e-powered vehicles, its reliability in daily ops and if H2 is supplied in sufficient quantities and on time to guarantee constant refueling processes. The test vehicle now presented for the first time should be ready for use in mid-January 2025.
Metran’s management chose Slovakia as the test region for the deployment of the hydrogen-powered truck because the company Mobility & Innovation Production s.r.o (MIP) is based there. A letter of intent has now been signed between the two parties to jointly test the first hydrogen-powered truck in Slovakia in operational service. Metrans will initially deploy the vehicle to feed goods into its three rail terminals it operates in Slovakian and for forwarding incoming goods to local customers.
Dense intra-European rail network
The East European country is part of the company’s pan-European railway network which includes hubs in Dunajska Streda, Zilina and Kosice, offering rail connections to 50+ ports and cities stretching from Rotterdam, Hamburg, Koper, Prague, Warsaw to Istanbul. The company is the market leader for container transportation in seaport hinterland traffic across Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. It runs inland terminals, operates special locomotives, and its rolling stock enables it to offer a range of products such as customs clearance or depot and shunting services in addition to railing solutions.
Green agenda
Stepping out of fossil fuel burn stands very high on Metrans’ agenda, emphasizes management. Evidenced, for instance, by cargo trains in Austria and Germany that are powered exclusively by green energy. Where CO2 emissions cannot be avoided, they are offset by certified projects. The test of the H2 truck in Slovakia concurs with the approach to scale down fossil fuel burn whenever and wherever possible.
Compared to other electric vehicles, the MIP truck offers an extended range for long-distance trips. The 48-kilogram hydrogen tank allows a range of at least 600 kilometers without the need to refuel the vehicle. As part of the trial, the hydrogen used to fuel the truck comes from renewable energy sources. “Refueling will take place at permanently installed H2 filling stations whose network still has major gaps. That’s why we will place mobile filling stations at places where needed for securing energy supply,” Metran spokesperson, Karolin Hamann told CargoForwarder Global.
Peter Kiss, CEO of the Metrans Group, stated: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to test MIP’s new hydrogen-powered truck for our container transport. Through innovations like this, we can offer our customers climate-friendly solutions not only by rail but also by road. This takes us another important step toward decarbonizing European logistics chains.”
Metrans aims to offer its customers fully climate-friendly transport solutions from a single source. The combination of eco-friendly rail and road transport creates significant added value. The logistics company is also part of the Clean Port & Logistics Cluster, in which terminal operator HHLA and partner companies are jointly exploring the use of hydrogen-powered equipment in port logistics.
Metrans emphasizes thatthe company has been using e-trucks for transporting containers for two years now. In addition, it runs energy-efficient electric and hybrid locomotives and electric container gantry cranes. Provided the test program yields convincing results, the e-truck fleet might be complemented by hydrogen-powered vehicles. Metrans aims to offer its customers environmentally benign solutionsfrom a single source. The combination of eco-friendly rail and road transport creates significant added value, states the company. Metrans is also part of the Clean Port & Logistics Cluster, in which terminal operator HHLA and partner companies are jointly exploring the use of hydrogen-powered equipment in port logistics. Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is the parent of rail operator Metrans.
Technical specifications of the H2 truck
The hydrogen truck was built in cooperation with Ford. Slovakian manufacturer MIP claims that it is one of the most advanced hydrogen-powered vehicles using cutting-edge technologies that have not yet been implemented in commercially available vehicles yet. The integrated REFIRE fuel cell, with a capacity of 117 kW, supplies the truck with the required energy. It is the first truck in Europe to integrate the Dana Sumo motor into a heavy-duty vehicle. The maximum permissible weight is 45 tons, based on the European standard.
Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, Dana produces innovative motor and inverter designs. Its Sumo series offers up to 430 kW of continuous power and 540 kW of peak power. In view of these performance parameters, the name’s reference to the famous Japanese Sumo wrestlers is no coincidence.
