Hydrogen fuel cells for a cleaner environment
Up to 30% less diesel consumption for refuse collection
Berlin, 27 June 201 - There is a tradition at Berliner Stadtreinigung of encouraging innovation and implementing it in cooperation with other companies. One current example is the development of a fuel cell drive for the loading systems of refuse collection vehicles. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, the Berlin-based Heliocentris Energiesysteme GmbH and the body manufacturer FAUN have developed a vehicle that is considerably quieter than its peers and consumes up to 30% less diesel.
The vehicle is currently undergoing tests with BSR. The world’s first fuel-cell-powered refuse lorry will be in everyday operation for two years in Adlershof, Friedrichshain and Lichtenberg. This practical test is intended to demonstrate that the vehicle can function just as well during loading as its conventional diesel counterparts, all while emitting zero carbon dioxide, zero nitrogen monoxide and zero particulate matter. The fuel cell produces nothing but water. “The vehicle’s diesel engine is used only for driving and is switched off when refuse is being loaded. The electrical energy for the loading process comes from a fuel cell integrated in the vehicle”, explains Dr Johannes F. Kirchhoff, Chief Executive Officer of the FAUN Group.
For this purpose, Heliocentris Energiesysteme GmbH has developed a “power box”, installed behind the cab, which contains a 32 kW fuel cell power unit along with the hydrogen tank, air supply and cooling systems necessary for its operation. “Our aim is to find out whether this solution is suitable for series production. This means that we now have to put the prototypes through their paces in everyday use”, comments Dr András Gosztonyi, member of the Managing Board at Heliocentris.
Secretary of State Dr Jens-Peter Heuer, Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues, foresees the fuel cell vehicle making a significant contribution to environmentally compatible mobility: “Heliocentris in Adlershof is a Berlin-based company with technological developments that place it at the forefront of energy storage solutions. This is just what Berlin needs as a model city for electromobility.”
The Federal Ministry of Transport aided the development of the prototype as part of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme (NIP) by providing approximately €800,000. “We want to enable mobility, not hinder it. This means that we need sustainable solutions for the transport of the future. Electromobility using batteries and fuel cells offers reasonable alternatives in this respect. That is particularly true of city traffic. With innovative technologies such as these, we are not only contributing to the reduction of environmentally harmful emissions, but also ensuring that our cities are quieter. We are using our support programmes to help both commerce and science in terms of research, development and demonstration, so that technologies of the future like these can find their way into practical applications. The NIP alone is making €500 million available over a period of ten years”, says Rainer Bomba, Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.
The NIP is coordinated by NOW GmbH (Nationale Organisation Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie – National Organisation of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology). Spokesman for the company management Dr Klaus Bonhoff comments: “This fuel cell offers enhanced efficiency in a wide range of applications. Testing in everyday situations is essential for a successful market launch. We are delighted by the boldness and pioneering spirit exhibited by all the experts involved.”
Andreas Scholz-Fleischmann, personnel director at BSR – and responsible for the BSR fleet – awaits the test phase under real operating conditions with excitement. “Berliner Stadtreinigung is a forward-looking company and has for many years been in the vanguard when it comes to the use of innovative technologies for environmental protection. Stimulating and cultivating innovation is a core aspect of our strategy of low charges and high environmental standards.”
FAUN is a market leader in refuse collection vehicles and road sweepers in Europe and as part of the cooperation project is supplying the vehicle body for the loading and compression of the waste, as well as the technical know-how for the energy recovery aspect of the hybrid concept. The company is based in Osterholz-Scharmbeck (Lower Saxony). FAUN employs over 1,000 people worldwide.
Heliocentris Energiesysteme GmbH is a specialist in hybrid energy storage solutions based on fuel cells, batteries and energy management and is based in Adlershof, Berlin.
Nationale Organisation Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie GmbH (NOW) was established in 2008. NOW GmbH is responsible for the coordination and management of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme (NIP) and the Electromobility Model Regions programme set up by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.
Press contact:
Dr. András Gosztonyi
CFO / Managing Director
Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG
+49-(0)30-340601-560
a.gosztonyiheliocentris.com
Cornelia von Poser
College Hill GmbH
+49-(0)69-133896-13
cornelia.von.posercollegehill.de