Hydrospider (HSP) sees market opportunities in the production and distribution of green hydrogen for mobility. The current focus is on heavy mobility (trucks), where there is an expected potential in Switzerland of 2,000 trucks by 2030. A unique implementation initiative has been running in Switzerland for the past two years, which aims to decarbonise heavy transport across all sectors. More than 20 operators of fuel cell electric trucks have already completed more than 8.6 million kilometers with the almost 50 CO2-free H2 trucks and have thus saved more than 6'800 tons of CO2 (state at the end of 2023).

In order to further expand the hydrogen mobility system, Hydrospider is now planning to build another plant in the immediate vicinity of its run-of-river power plant in Niedergösgen to produce up to 2,000 t of green hydrogen annually, thereby making a further contribution to the decarbonization of the mobility sector in Switzerland afford. The maximum planned electrolysis output of 15 MW enables the operation of an additional 300-400 emission-free H2 trucks. The approval process was started by the authorities at the beginning of 2023.

HSP is neither involved in the construction of hydrogen filling stations (HRS) nor does the company operate them. HSP supplies the respective HRS of its business partners with green hydrogen. There are currently 17 HRS in operation and by the end of the year this number should increase to 20. For all further information regarding HRS planning, profitability and expansion, the support association H2 Mobility Switzerland is the contact person (. https://h2mobilitaet.ch/).

Our production facility in Niedergösgen has the capacity to supply approx. 40 to 50 trucks. In order to further develop heavy mobility with green hydrogen, production capacity in Switzerland must be significantly expanded.

Before 2020, there was no demand for green hydrogen for heavy mobility. At the beginning of Q1 2023, 47 H2 trucks are in use in Switzerland, which represents significant growth. Up to 2,000 H2 trucks are expected to be in use in Switzerland by 2030, which will massively increase the demand for green hydrogen.

Demand is currently greatest for heavy mobility and this is where Hydrospider sees the best business opportunities and therefore the greatest potential for decarbonizing mobility in Switzerland. Such a decarbonization of heavy transport is not easy and green hydrogen is very suitable for this.

Many HRS are also equipped for refueling cars. However, the construction and design of the respective HRS is the responsibility of the HRS operator and not of HSP. For all further information regarding HRS planning and expansion, the support association H2 Mobility Switzerland is the contact person (https://h2mobilitaet.ch/).

The parallel expansion and coordination between the respective players in the Swiss H2 ecosystem (H2 truck importers, H2 producers and HRS operators) is central so that an efficient and growth-capable H2 ecosystem can be established in Switzerland. In Switzerland, good interaction between all players has made this parallel growth of H2 production, HRS and H2 trucks possible.

In principle, green hydrogen can make a valuable contribution to decarbonization, particularly in the areas of mobility, industry and buildings. In addition to these areas, energy can also be stored in the form of hydrogen and thus contribute to the country's energy supply security. At the moment, HSP is primarily focusing on heavy mobility.

From the CO2-free electric drive to refueling in just a few minutes and the range of more than 800 km, there are many good reasons to switch to a vehicle with hydrogen electric drive. The pure fuel costs are still competitive with conventional, comparable vehicles despite increases in energy and hydrogen prices.

The distance-related heavy vehicle fee (HVF) was levied to tax emissions caused by fossil-fuel heavy vehicles. The HVF therefore does not have the character of a subsidy, but is a performance-related tax for heavy transport, which causes high emissions. Hydrogen and battery-powered trucks cause no emissions and are therefore exempt from the HVF. This means that an H2 truck can achieve comparable full costs per kilometer driven compared to a diesel truck.

The two byproducts are oxygen (O2) and heat. The byproducts are not used in Gösgen, but this will be the case in the future with larger projects.

In addition to electrolysis with green electricity, there is also pyrolysis of biomass, for example - a process that could also be used in Switzerland in the future. There are also many other processes for producing non-green hydrogen.

The top requirement for the system is to cover customer consumption. Under this condition, the production of the system can be optimized by using it when green electricity can be procured at the cheapest price.

For the long-term success of mobility with green H2, electricity production capacity from renewable energies must also be expanded in Switzerland. The consumption of 1,600 H2 trucks corresponds to the installed capacity of approx. 100 MW of H2 electrolysis.

For transport, the gaseous hydrogen is compressed to 350 bar and filled into special storage containers. This creates a system of swap containers that are filled at the production site and then exchanged directly at the HRS. The hydrogen is stored tightly in the containers and there are no losses during transport to the HRS. The container can be transported by road or by train. Theoretically, H2 can also be transported in pipelines as long as the infrastructure is retrofitted or newly built. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for existing natural gas pipelines and is therefore not feasible in the short term.

This technological decision is due to the physical properties of the gas containers and the free space in the container.

HSP is committed to emission-free mobility in Switzerland. The company advocates that the necessary regulatory measures be implemented as quickly as possible so that decarbonization can succeed effectively.

High range (400-600km for trucks, up to 800km for cars) Climate neutrality (closed production cycle) Emission-free (only water vapor and waste heat are produced) Recyclability and conservation of natural resources Short refueling time compared to battery-operated cars Quiet driving compared to a combustion engine No discharge at standstill Can also be used for households that do not have a parking garage or electricity columns

High legal safety requirements are placed on the installation, maintenance and operation of H2 systems. This means that known risk factors can be reliably limited and the entire H2 value chain can be easily controlled.

The international automobile manufacturers have carried out intensive accident and crash tests over many years. Their results show that hydrogen vehicles cannot be classified as more dangerous than other battery-powered or internal combustion engine vehicles. This opinion is also shared by science. Hydrogen only develops an explosive effect when an H2/O2 mixture with at least four percent O2 content is created. However, hydrogen, which is lighter than air, is so volatile that it escapes into the atmosphere before such a mixture can form.