Messer – hydrogen and experience support sustainable bus transport in North Rhine-Westphalia
Today, REVG Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft presented new hydrogen-powered fuel cell hybrid buses in Kerpen (North Rhine-Westphalia). With these buses, the district is taking a significant step towards emission-free mobility. The refueling technology and the hydrogen required are supplied by industrial gas specialist Messer.
A total of 26 innovative buses will replace their predecessors with conventional diesel engines by the end of June 2025, enabling the Rhein-Erft district to avoid emitting around 1,500 tons of greenhouse gases annually. The buses have a range of up to 350 kilometers per tank filling. They will be refueled at a hydrogen filling station provided by Messer on the REVG premises. This is also the location of the H. Freund freight forwarding company, which began commissioning the filling station in October 2024. Messer, the world’s largest privately owned specialist for industrial, medical, and specialty gases, was selected as a partner.
Andreas Noky, specialist for H₂ filling station projects at Messer, said:
Since the start of trial operations in November 2024, the fleet has gradually expanded from two to 26 buses. Over 400 refueling operations have taken place, filling approximately 6 tons of hydrogen.
“The average refueling time was less than 10 minutes, which is no longer than refueling with diesel fuel. To date, the operation of the new fuel cell hybrid buses and the refueling of additional vehicles from REVG partner companies have already avoided the emission of around 65 tons of greenhouse gases.”
Messer has been a technology and hydrogen supplier for one of the largest fleets of fuel cell-powered electric buses in the US since 2011. In Jülich (North Rhine-Westphalia), Messer is building a plant for the production of green hydrogen in a joint venture with the district of Düren. With a rated output of 10 megawatts and a production capacity of up to 180 kilograms of hydrogen per hour, the plant will be one of the largest of its kind in Germany. In neighboring Belgium, Messer is a partner in the Hyoffwind project in Zeebrugge for hydrogen electrolysis with a rated output of 25 megawatts.
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Messer – hydrogen and experience support sustainable bus transport in North Rhine-Westphalia, source
