Meet Nick Power, Haskel's Newest Business Development Manager in Hydrogen Refuelling Stations

Meet the Haskel Team

Nick Power, Business Development Manager (EMEA) in Hydrogen Refuelling Stations located in the UK, joined Haskel Europe in January. He has worked in the industrial gases industry for 25 years and for 10 years has been involved in starting up and managing new businesses in the hydrogen mobility and gas for transport sectors. He is now helping to shape Haskel Hydrogen Systems growth in the EU. In this interview, he shares his viewpoint on the hydrogen mobility market’s exciting future.

 

Why did you choose to join Haskel?

I was really impressed by the reputation that Haskel has started to create in hydrogen refuelling with the launch of some great products and with winning orders in different parts of the world. Haskel has a very strong platform based on their expertise and experience in the gas systems market, and they were able to utilize these strengths and skills to develop hydrogen refuelling stations. Hydrogen is still an embryonic market—many of our customers will be doing this for the first time, and they will be looking for the experience and high-quality products Haskel has to offer.

Haskel and Ingersoll Rand brands are recognized around the world. They have the technology, expertise, and heritage in high-pressure gas systems. I think what appeals to customers, especially when they're doing this for the first time, is that they have a strong supplier in Ingersoll Rand in terms of financial strength, experience, and infrastructure to operate a global business. That really resonates.

 

What are some major milestones you’re watching for in hydrogen mobility?

We have seen some milestones already, with countries making air quality and CO2 emissions policy announcements and plans, setting robust targets to move to a zero-emission economy. We now have, in many parts of the world, comprehensive strategies in place to support the shift to hydrogen. It has created the right environment to introduce green fuels and low or zero-emission technologies.

Over the last 10 years there have been a lot of successful demonstration projects utilizing hydrogen technology, such as hydrogen vehicles, to prove that this technology is viable in busy transport operations. That has now given our customers, whether private or public organizations, the confidence to make bigger investments in zero-emission alternatives for their fleet.

There is also funding to support emission reduction plans, enabling our customers to take their first step, or next big steps, to adopt hydrogen technology.

 

Where are you seeing the best early traction of hydrogen mobility?

I think hydrogen is getting some traction across of all modes of transport, especially on road transport and public transport. A lot of municipal bus fleets are starting to convert to hydrogen mobility, which is driven by the ambitions of the leading international manufacturers. Interest in making available zero-emission products has extended to international truck manufacturers as well, as we start to see heavy-duty logistics vehicles on a hydrogen platform. We’ll see it on bigger and larger applications as well, ships for example are one that a number of governments are starting to seriously examine now. We've seen hydrogen-powered trains being launched successfully in Europe. So pretty much any kind of mode of transport that you look at is starting to develop opportunities for hydrogen mobility.

 

How do you gauge your success?

I’m involved in making zero-emission technology available by forming relationships with key customers and key organizations, and on behalf of Haskel, helping those organizations achieve their goals through the provision of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. There's quite a strong incentive for me to be involved in this type of business, as it has a very positive impact on public health - that’s ultimately what all of this is about.

It will take a collection of like-minded companies to achieve aggressive goals in hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

 

What types of collaborations are particularly interesting?

There will be collaborations with organizations and local governments who are interested in developing the deployment of hydrogen. This would mean, for example, working with large international energy companies to help them deploy hydrogen projects in different geographies.

We are also working to partner with other players in the value chain to make sure there’s a robust offering and local service model. This could be, for example, enhancing our aftermarket capability to look after large numbers of stations once deployed.

 

What do you wish your customers and partners knew about hydrogen mobility?

I believe everyone in the market is on a learning curve; many of our customers are doing this for the first time. They may have had experience in perhaps using other alternative fuels before, but not necessarily with hydrogen. That’s a very exciting part of the customer journey to be involved in, right at the beginning of their hydrogen experience. It is an area where we at Haskel can bring the most value because it gives us the opportunity to share our experience and our expertise and help them craft their hydrogen projects. There’s a role for Haskel and other organizations to educate the customers about the possibilities and the benefits of using hydrogen and how it might be integrated into their operations.

 

What drives you personally?

I feel very passionate about this sector and I have been for a very long time. I watched it grow, take shape, and got to be part of it. It’s a real journey for everyone who's involved in the sector, which is one of the exciting things about it, one of the challenging things as well, but one of the most rewarding. I see a very positive journey ahead for Haskel. We have clear ambitions and strong growth targets. I’m looking forward to contributing to that, to help organize and structure this growth and be part of the implementation and delivery. It’s a really exciting time.


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