Colruyt Group is the first in Europe to start a test of a 44 ton heavy-duty truck with a hydrogen “range extender”. The truck was developed by VDL Groep in Eindhoven and the test is part of the European Interreg demonstration project Hydrogen Region 2.0. Besides its sustainable character through the use of green energy and hydrogen, an additional advantage of this vehicle is that it can cover longer distances than other electric trucks – an important asset for freight transport.
Colruyt Group believes that hydrogen can play an important role in making mobility and energy supply more sustainable. That is why the group has been investing in this green energy carrier for years, hoping that other companies will follow suit. This project was financed within the Interreg V program Flanders-Netherlands with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund.
Colruyt Group will test the hydrogen truck in its daily logistic operations. Given the diversity of the group’s activities, it will be possible to test a variety of user cases, including store deliveries. In this way, the group fully lives up to its pioneering role in the practical application of green energy. The truck is also much quieter than others, which supports the group’s ambition for more silent deliveries. For this specific test, the company is actively collaborating with VDL Groep, the manufacturer of the new truck.
“Our goal is to gain knowledge and experience to prove that hydrogen technology can be used efficiently in heavy-duty logistics. We strongly believe in the future important role of green hydrogen as a sustainable option: renewable and without CO2 emissions. We are very excited about this European test project in which hydrogen technology is integrated to make the heavy-duty logistics sector more sustainable,” said Regine Vaneghem, Head of Transport at Colruyt.
Colruyt Group and VDL Groep are active partners of the European Hydrogen Region 2.0 demonstration project, which aims to build up knowledge and experience with large-scale hydrogen applications in logistics. By widely sharing the experience gained, Hydrogen Region 2.0 wants to inspire other major logistics centers to start using hydrogen-powered vehicles as well.
Director Menno Kleingeld of VDL Enabling Transport Solutions, part of VDL Groep, commented: “The collaboration with Colruyt Group in the run-up to this introduction went well: our family businesses share the values of innovation and sustainability. The technology we have developed for our buses, is also widely applicable to other, heavy vehicles, such as trucks, also powered by hydrogen. We are proud that Colruyt Group uses this progressive and sustainable hydrogen truck in the context of Interreg.”
Source: Colruyt Group
