Hydrogen Refuelling Systems: Finding the Right-Fit Station Based on Application

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) are gaining momentum globally, and those that are working to put in place the refuelling infrastructure are the agents of change in the fight against climate change. But what’s the right system for your hydrogen mobility application? There are more options available than some investors realize and many factors impact refuelling performance.

Consumers value fuelling speed, and hydrogen refuelling can take mere minutes, fitting their gasoline fuelling habits and offering a more familiar alternative to EVs. Governmental and commercial customers and system specifiers, however, have a longer list of considerations:

• Maximum charge/known range

• Importance of fill speed in their organization/process

• User training vs. ‘fool proof’ use

• Scheduled or ad hoc usage

• Payment system vs. user login

• Captive or public fleet

To help these customers hit the right balance of wants and needs and budget, Haskel has introduced a range of fuelling systems. Which is right for you?

Customers often start by asking for SAE J2601, with the capacity to serve two or more vehicles back-to-back. Clarifications may then discover that the customer is operating a pilot project that is only serving limited vehicles, often as part of a captive fleet.

Pilot projects generally start with limited budgets and operators don’t always understand the cost implication of the additional cooling requirements associated with the various protocols, which may not be necessary. Very few customers want to overspend to serve a four- vehicle pilot fleet. The Haskel Nano or Nano Pro, the newest in our line of refuelling stations, are designed to be cost effective entry points for small fleet operators.

The Nano Pro is a plug-and-play solution for ‘office’ applications serving small FCEV vans and passenger vehicles, while the Nano is geared for industrial applications, making use of existing compressed air supplies and controlled environment, for example, warehouses making the move to FCEV forklifts.