Short summary - last update September 20th, 2018

We have laid forth a plan to increase investment from both the private and public sectors by offering a detailed and wide-ranging infrastructure setup, coupled with numerous logistical and economic advantages, which will favour distribution via fuel cell trucks. Rotterdam port will act as a specially equipped entry point to an ever expanding network of fueling stations and preferential highways.

This network will initially be founded upon the major shipping routes between major international cities before expanding to cater to local markets. A partnership between private investment and public subsidies can be used to expand hydrogen supply and demand concurrently, driving need for increased technological efficiency.

While hydrogen will initially be supplied via steam reforming, increasing the renewable electricity capability of local refueling stations will allow for onsite local hydrogen production by means of electrolysis.

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Thank you Team Ulm! Acoording to you we can overcome problems to introduce fuel cell technology into the transport-sector by the application of heavy-duty fuel cell trucks (HD-FCT) in a specific area. In your thesis you're summing up the advantages.

In the real world stakeholders in Germany are quickly building a nationwide hydrogen refuelling network that will link up Germany’s key regions. This seems to be a regional approach as well.

In what way does your proposal differ from this current development?

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Your idea of zooming in on a specific area brings you to choose for the Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands. Good reasons for this are listed: its high potential in terms of hydrogen production, the great possibilities for 'green-hydrogen' and because of a rather green political focus.

Did you take into consideration that Dutch authorities in recent decades acted quite hesitant towards boosting the hydrogen economy? Only few hydrogen refueling stations have been realized. Wouldn't that be a reason to concentrate on the Hamburg area?

Do you expect a more vigorous Dutch approach towards introducing big hydrogen projects in the future?

You focus on the construction of a container exchange route (CER) in the port of Rotterdam. This short distance transport of containers is performed in a range of roughly 40km, mainly by trucks. If the autonomous transport system, which uses battery electric trucks, is combined with inland shipping by hydrogen fuel cell trucks even zero CO2 emission can be reached.

The realization of a CER infrastructure already started earlier this year. In 2020 the system should be operational. Suppose the harbour authorities are interested in implementing your proposals, do you think there's still enough time to adopt these plans?

In your proposals the initial need for hydrogen is satisfied by the fossil industry: the so-called 'grey hydrogen', which is a by-product of refineries. In a later stage the harbour market could switch to using 'green hydrogen', which comes from renewable energy sources. Wind and solar delivering the green electricity that's needed to produce H2.

How do you see this transition from grey to green happen? Must we wait untill green hydrogen is cheaper, or should it be regulated by government? Which incentives would play a role here?

As you know the harbour area is not a public domain. So we have to divide between your proposals for the container exchange route (CER) and your ideas for the larger Rijnmond regio, where you would like operators of refueling stations to offer hydrogen gas to commercial users. Their clients can be transport companies and private owners of Fuel Cell Cars (FCEV's)

Regarding these fueling stations: would you make use of the industrial hydrogen as well, and transport it by pipelines? Or do you consider on-site hydrogen production?

What do you as Team Ulm expect as the biggest hurdles for your own plans?

Dear all!

In the next few days we will specify our questions. For this moment we would like to invite you to read the jury's questions and come up with your suggestions. For this register in Disqus and join the chats!

Thanks! Team Ulm

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