TotalEnergies opens hydrogen refueling station in Veldhoven

The Netherlands has another public hydrogen refueling station (HRS). The HRS in Veldhoven operated by TotalEnergies was officially opened today in the presence of the managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Nederland, Robert Joore, projectmanager Mobiliteit van WaterstofNet, Stefan Neis, retail director van TotalEnergies Marketing Nederland, Nathalie Baras and Mariëlle Giesbertz, Alderman for Sustainability for the municipality of Veldhoven. 

The hydrogen refueling station is located at De Run 4230 in Veldhoven, near the ‘De Hogt’ traffic junction on the Eindhoven peripheral road for the connection of the A2 and N2 motorways to the A67. The station is located on a site owned by VDL Groep and supplies hydrogen (H2) at a pressure of 700 bar, suitable for passenger cars and other light vehicles, and 350 bar, used mainly for heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks. 

The station already has an exciting history. It was built in 2013 (by a company that was later integrated by TotalEnergies) on behalf of WaterstofNet within the Interreg project 'Hydrogen Region Flanders - South Netherlands', on the site of the Automotive Campus in Helmond. It was the very first HRS in the Benelux, equipped with an electrolysis system, allowing vehicles to fill up at 350 bar (buses, garbage trucks, ...) and at 700 bar (passenger cars, light vans, …). At the time, it was mainly used as a test facility for different types of vehicles from various H2 projects. In addition, hydrogen-powered passenger cars could refuel there. 

Due to the growing demand for H2 from various vehicle applications, the station was expanded in 2018 within the Interreg project Hydrogen Region 2.0, both in terms of production - (60 Nm³/h ) - and compression capacity. Due to the increasing number of end-users and their requirements, it was no longer possible for WaterstofNet to keep the HRS operational according to the requirements of the time. In addition, it had to be upgraded and moved to a location accessible to the public.   

This brings us to the current important step in the history of the station: its relocation to a more suitable location and its opening to the public. Moreover, the station is now owned by TotalEnergies, which carried out the necessary upgrade and relocation and has taken on the operation of the station.  

TotalEnergies in The Netherlands is working hard to expand its network of service stations with alternative fuels such as biomethane, hydrogen, LNG and electricity. Only last month it opened another hydrogen refueling station in the city of Breda. Together with Arnhem and Delfzijl (buses), Veldhoven is TotalEnergies' fourth HRS in the Netherlands. These stations contribute to TotalEnergies' ambition in the Netherlands to enable cleaner and more sustainable mobility.  

Adwin Martens, Director of WaterstofNet: "We are immensely proud that this first hydrogen refueling station in the Benelux, which started in 2013 as a test platform for hydrogen applications, now grown into a full-fledged public station that is operated commercially. The operational management of the hydrogen refueling station between 2013 and 2020 by WaterstofNet has brought WaterstofNet immense and also unique experience. Thanks to this experience, WaterstofNet is involved in the development of 12 hydrogen refueling stations in the Benelux." 

Nathalie Baras, Retail Director of TotalEnergies Marketing Netherlands: "The Netherlands has high ambitions in the field of sustainability. The right refueling and charging infrastructure makes the switch to cleaner and more sustainable transport easier. As TotalEnergies in the Netherlands, we are very pleased to be able to contribute to this by making affordable and cleaner energy for transport widely available. The opening of our new hydrogen refueling station in Veldhoven, the fourth operated by TotalEnergies in the Netherlands, is another important step in achieving this goal."

Pieter van der Leegte, managing director VDL Groep: "VDL Groep plays a prominent role in the field of renewable energy, for both stationary and mobile applications. To improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions, hydrogen is of great importance. Facilitating this hydrogen refueling station of TotalEnergies therefore fits seamlessly in our activities in the field of the energy transition."