Daimler Truck, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have announced a strategic partnership to create an environmentally friendly liquid hydrogen supply chain in Europe. The system, which will be distributed from the port of Hamburg to the interior of the continent, aims to accelerate the use of hydrogen in logistics and industry.
At the World Hydrogen Technology Exhibition in Hamburg, Daimler Truck, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a safe and cost-effective supply chain for environmentally friendly liquid hydrogen. The project will allow the import of liquid hydrogen from producing countries to Germany and strengthen Hamburg's position as a leading European logistics center for sustainable energy.
As part of a joint initiative, the partners will evaluate the logistics infrastructure for transporting liquid hydrogen by road and rail through Hamburg in the coming months. The plan also provides for the creation of an international hydrogen consortium covering the entire supply chain.
Doctor. Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Daimler Truck, highlighted the key role of hydrogen in Europe's transition to energy: "Our Mercedes —Benz GenH2 trucks not only run on liquid, environmentally friendly hydrogen, but can also carry it. This technology is the key to accelerating decarbonization and overcoming the constraints caused by the slow expansion of the energy system."
Annette Walter, Chief Financial Officer of HHLA, emphasized the flexibility of using hydrogen in transportation and logistics: "Liquid hydrogen has great advantages for small and medium-sized enterprises and industries, as it can be transported independently of the pipeline infrastructure. Our goal is to ensure a reliable supply of hydrogen to industry through our pan-European logistics network."
Kei Nomura, Head of Hydrogen Strategy at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, noted the company's many years of experience: "Kawasaki has been developing technologies for the production, storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen for many years. Our collaboration with HHLA and Daimler Truck marks an important step towards building an integrated hydrogen supply network in Europe."
Experts say that this partnership is a powerful signal for Europe's transition to energy. Kawasaki is developing tankers of various capacities capable of carrying liquid hydrogen, while HHLA aims to expand the use of fuel cell technology in port operations as part of its goal to create a carbon-neutral logistics network by 2040. The Daimler Truck company, which adheres to the strategy of using both electric and
