TotalEnergies joins H2Accelerate

TotalEnergies has joined the H2Accelerate initiative, a collaborative comprising hydrogen producers and infrastructure operators, and vehicle manufacturers, that is working to accelerate the deployment of green hydrogen for trucking.

John Wilson, Vice President, Gas Mobility at TotalEnergies Marketing and Services, says: ‘The environmental and practical benefits of driving on hydrogen make it one of the most promising alternative fuels for tomorrow's sustainable mobility, particularly in long-haul road transport. To meet the 2030 emission reduction targets for this segment, we must work together across the hydrogen value chain to ensure that this energy, the vehicles and the required infrastructure are in place as soon as possible. This is what H2Accelerate is striving for. Becoming a member will help us in our goal to develop hydrogen refuelling stations for trucks in Europe, and beyond, and is another step towards our climate ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050 together with society.’

H2Accelerate recently published a White Paper on the need for hydrogen trucking, which sets out the underlying arguments in favour of the use of hydrogen to decarbonise long-haul trucks. Two key aspects focus on:

• The role of hydrogen in facilitating rapid and enhanced renewable energy deployment, by allowing the large-scale storage and distribution of renewable energy.
• The need for hydrogen as the only zero carbon, zero emission fuel in the heavy-duty trucking sector which can provide a combination of fast refuelling and very long range between refuels. 

Commenting on publication of the paper, H2Accelerate spokesperson Ben Madden said: ‘While ambitious targets have already been set for the deployment of hydrogen trucks over the coming 10 years, this cannot be achieved without an acceleration of deployment on the ground. The publication of the first H2Accelerate White Paper shows the unification of companies of significant scale and influence behind the vital importance of hydrogen in both sustainable energy systems and in long haul trucking. With the right policy support in place, we believe that the companies involved in H2Accelerate can act as a catalyst for the transition to decarbonised trucking.’

H2Accelerate participants believe that synchronised investments across the hydrogen trucking sector during the 2020s will create the conditions for the mass market roll-out of hydrogen fuelled heavy duty transportation which is required to meet the European ambition of net zero emissions by 2050. The decade long scale-up is expected to begin with groups of customers willing to make an early commitment to hydrogen-based trucking. These fleets are expected to operate in regional clusters and along European high-capacity corridors with good refuelling station coverage. During the decade, these clusters can then be interconnected to build a truly pan-European network. 

Throughout the scale-up, support from the public sector will be required. Under H2Accelerate, the participants expect to work together to seek funding for early pre-commercial projects during the first phase of the roll-out. In parallel, the participants will engage with policy makers and regulators to encourage a policy environment which will help support the subsequent scale-up into volume manufacturing for hydrogen trucks and a Europe-wide refuelling network for zero carbon hydrogen fuel.