Hydrogen and E-fueling Stations

In addition to fuels for low-CO2 internal combustion engines, the service stations of the future will also offer electricity and hydrogen. In Germany, there are currently more than 14,000 filling stations that have their fuel (today still gasoline or diesel) delivered regularly by tanker trucks.

For the hydrogen filling stations of the future, however, it will make more sense to obtain their energy locally or from the region as far as possible, since transporting hydrogen with cooling or with extremely pressure-resistant tanks is comparatively costly.

Theoretically, the electricity of the modern filling station can be obtained from the nearest major utility (often located kilometers away), but is much more sustainable produced on site.

The Energy Bands run along the federal highways where most of the refueling stations are located and can thus easily supply them with electricity: for direct delivery to e-cars or for decentralized hydrogen production.

Energy Bands can run towards filling stations that have both: charging stations for e-cars, which can be supplied directly with electricity, and hydrogen filling stations, for which hydrogen is produced with a dedicated electrolyser

"Charging stations" are likely to be less busy than conventional gasoline or diesel filling stations: Whereas in the past, people tended to fill up along a highway and rarely in the middle of the city, the main charging of e-cars takes place precisely when they are parked somewhere in a city area, whether during work in business parks or even at home: the standing times in residential or work areas thus become the main "refueling times". Because people do not want to spend more time than necessary at a charging station, no matter how attractively designed it may be.

In order to make the station infrastructure efficient, with access and exits, roofing, toilets and, if necessary, restaurants, it makes sense for the future to combine hydrogen filling stations and charging stations, if possible.

In populated areas with larger parking lots, charging stations do not have to be located as a separate area or unit next to parked cars: Because in principle, each parking space can be provided with a power connection and a meter

Charging with electricity while the car is parked somewhere, anyway - this will become the "refueling process" of the future for e-cars.

Energy Bands run past new types of e-charging stations that can supply them directly with electricity

Here, intermediate storage facilities ensure that there is always enough electricity for e-vehicles, even at night or in overcast weather. However, the number of e-vehicles that will "refuel" along federal highways is likely to be smaller than the number of internal combustion engine vehicles that refuel there today.

Accordingly, it will be useful to combine hydrogen refueling stations with e-charging stations to realize economies of scale in other refueling station infrastructure.

The Energy Bands can also supply electricity for electrolysers that produce hydrogen at the filling stations, so that hydrogen tanks (to be installed underground) can be filled on site

Hydrogen/e-fueling stations along Energy Bands have the chance to become self-sufficient: For this, Energy Bands must supply around 50 GWh/a of electricity per filling station

Currently, there is a refueling station every 30 km on average on federal highways in Germany. If Energy Bands are allowed to run 15 km to the right and left of a filling station, they can cover the energy requirements for hydrogen and e-vehicles even if there is a larger filling station.

A larger filling station (2XL) consumes an average of 2,500 kg of hydrogen per day, or 912.5 tons of hydrogen per year, which requires 48 GWh of electricity per year to be supplied by the Energy Bands.

Hydrogen is produced in summer, partially consumed and the rest is stored and consumed when hydrogen is needed in winter

Generatedelectricity on 30 km: 163 GWh/a

Electricitydemandfor 120 e-cars per day: 2.5 GWh/a

Battery capacity: 4.8 MWh ̶ Number of batteries: 1 ̶ Space required for batteries: 35 m2

Hydrogen demand and consumption: 58 GWh/a (1,000 tons/a)

Power of electrolyzers: 17.5 MW ̶ Number of electrolyzers: 3 large (88 m2 ) and 1 medium (45 m2 )

Area required for electrolyzers: 310 m 2

Stored hydrogen forwinteruse: 10.3 GWh (200 tons/a)

Dimensions of the cylindrical hydrogen storage tanks: 55 by 3.6 x 15 m (D, L) ̶ Area required for the hydrogen storage tanks: 4,100 m2 or 64 x 64 m

On the narrower federal highways without Energy Bands on the median strip, a refueling station can also be supplied every 30 km, but it then has lower capacities

Generatedelectricity on 30 km: 106 GWh/a

Electricitydemandfor 120 e-cars per day: 2.5 GWh/a

Battery capacity: 4.8 MWh ̶ Number of batteries: 1 ̶ Space required for batteries: 35 m2

Hydrogen demand and consumption: 38 GWh/a (730 tons/a)

Power of electrolyzers: 12 MW ̶ Number of electrolyzers: 2 large (88 m2 ) and 1 medium (45 m2 )

Area required for electrolyzers: 220 m 2

Stored hydrogen forwinteruse: 7.3 GWh (140 tons/a)

Dimensions of the cylindrical hydrogen storage tanks: 38 by 3.6 x 15 m (D, L) ̶ Area required for the hydrogen storage tanks: 2,900 m2 or 54 x 54 m

While 30 km of Energy Bands are needed in winter to supply a larger refueling station, 10 km of Energy Bands are sufficient in summer to cover the electricity and hydrogen requirements: The rest from the remaining 20 km is automatically forwarded, consumed elsewhere or stored

Energy Bands only ever supply the service stations with as much as they need. Since they produce significantly more electricity over short distances in summer than in winter, the service station then only receives electricity from 10 km of Energy Bands and not (as in winter) from 30 km of Energy Bands.

Electricity surpluses that occur after battery and hydrogen storage tanks at the refueling stations are filled can be forwarded by the Energy Bands to be either consumed by other customers along the route, fed into the grid supply of municipalities, or - especially in summer - forwarded to larger storage tanks.

Distributed throughout Germany, for example, there are pumped storage power plants that store electricity in the form of potential energy in a reservoir: The water is lifted into the reservoir by electric pumps to be used again in winter to drive turbines to generate electricity.

In addition, research is examining options for larger hydrogen storage facilities in disused salt works and the like.