Hydrogen refueling station opened for Weimar city bus service
Just this spring, Stadtwirtschaft Weimar announced the successful contract award for the hydrogen filling station to Thuringian technology specialist Maximator Hydrogen GmbH, Nordhausen, as part of its pioneering transport project. After a good 10 months of intensive cooperation, the starting signal has now been given for the ultra-modern hydrogen filling station for Weimar's city bus service, which is located on the premises of Weimarer Stadtwirtschaft. The companies involved underline the efficient and cooperative collaboration at all levels - working together in record time for the turnaround in mobility. With the completion of the refueling station, three emission-free hydrogen buses are now in operation in Weimar, the city of culture, marking a significant milestone for the model project in terms of sustainable mobility.
Emission-free hydrogen urban transportation in Weimar is becoming a reality: this morning, the hydrogen filling station was officially opened on the site of Stadtwirtschaft Weimar at Industriestraße 14. The high-performance refueling system was supplied by Maximator Hydrogen, a company from Nordhausen, also based in Thuringia. Two refueling spots supply the H2 buses with hydrogen compressed to 350 bar, which is transported to the facility by trailer. With this initiative, the central German city is sending a significant signal in the direction of moving away from fossil fuels and is relying on the expertise of a leading company in the field of hydrogen technology: with over 50 internationally placed compression systems and the know-how from over 90,000 successful H2 refueling operations, Maximator Hydrogen is particularly impressive with its patented compression technology. "The collaboration with Maximator Hydrogen is a valuable part of the project - also with a view to the future. It was not only the technological finesse that convinced us, but also the dedicated commitment and expertise of the employees that contributed to the smooth completion of the project and the launch of H2 mobility in Weimar," says Bernd Wagner, Managing Director of Stadtwirtschaft Weimar.
Hydrogen has technological and economic advantages in bus and heavy goods transport. On the one hand, charging times are shorter, including the necessary charging infrastructure, and on the other hand, the technology is ahead in terms of cost-effectiveness, especially on routes with many uphill gradients. As a project pioneer, the first H2 buses in Weimar are therefore primarily running on city routes 1, 3, 4 and 7 - i.e. these routes in particular have a challenging elevation profile.
In order to use hydrogen for refueling, the volatile gas must be compressed to high pressures. The H2 compressor from Maximator Hydrogen - the so-called MAX Compression System - has the capacity to compress the hydrogen to 1,000 bar using a hydraulically driven high-pressure piston compressor. This process places particular stress on the seals in the compressor. Maximator Hydrogen has therefore developed a special, fully automatic seal exchange technology, the Automatic Seal Exchange (ASX). This reduces service and maintenance costs as well as planned and unplanned system downtimes to an industry-wide minimum. In addition, the service performance and thus the high availability of the H2 system is guaranteed by remote access with the Maximator Hydrogen Cloud, which provides all event and process data from the system around the clock.
Cooperation in partnership in Thuringia
The hydrogen project in Weimar not only makes an important contribution to the energy transition, but also to cooperation in Thuringia. All the different trades on the Weimar industrial site worked together in record time and, following the delivery of the H2 vehicle fleet, the necessary refueling system for the fuel cell-powered vehicles has now also been created on time. "All the work went hand in hand. Efficient solutions were constantly found at all levels for the challenges that a new technology such as H2 technology can bring with it. We are grateful to see the hydrogen world growing in our federal state and to be able to help shape model projects like this," emphasizes Mathias Kurras, CEO of Maximator Hydrogen.
The total investment in the H2 filling station in Weimar amounts to over 1 million euros. The project was funded by the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment with funds from the EFRE program..
For more information, see https://www.maximator-hydrogen.de/
Contact Maximator Hydrogen GmbH
Mathias Kurras, CEO Maximator Hydrogen GmbH
Petriblick 2
99734 Nordhausen, Deutschland
presse@maximator-hydrogen.de / www.maximator-hydrogen.de
About Maximator Hydrogen
Maximator Hydrogen GmbH from Nordhausen is a leading supplier and developer of comprehensive system solutions for the entire value chain of hydrogen technologies. With over 200 employees, the company combines unique expertise with the know-how of approximately 700 H2-relevant patents. As a fast and efficient partner for the planning, construction and operation of hydrogen infrastructures for road, rail and marine transport, Maximator Hydrogen, a company of the Schmidt Kranz Group, offers highly reliable and modern hydrogen refueling stations from a single source. With its high performance, flexibility and speed, Maximator Hydrogen is a central partner for specifically tailored hydrogen solutions for large international companies and corporations.
About Stadtwirtschaft Weimar
Stadtwirtschaft Weimar GmbH, founded as a holding company in 2002, combines the areas of transportation, waste disposal and sports facilities. With over 150 employees, the company ensures mobility in and around Weimar. It moves the city and the people who live and work in Weimar with its 37 modern buses, the Schwansee indoor and outdoor swimming pools and the Asbach sports hall.