Letter on hydrogen: In for the long haul

New initiatives to secure supplies and build out refuelling networks signal growing confidence in hydrogen-powered trucking in Europe

Germany’s Daimler has highlighted the potential to deploy hydrogen fuel-cell trucks by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Emirati renewables developer Masdar to explore the feasibility of liquid green hydrogen exports from Abu Dhabi to Europe by 2030. On announcing the MOU in late January, the German truck maker also flagged its plans to deploy a trial fleet of Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks in mid-2024. Daimler’s tie up with Masdar aligns with a growing view in the transport sector that hydrogen fuel cells could win out over battery-electric engines in the post-diesel heavy-duty truck market.   This argument is based on the perceived advantages of hydrogen, especially in the long-