MAXIMATOR HYDROGEN: Hydrogen Refuelling Industry Thriving in Europe

From horse and manpower to steam power, through coal, oil, natural gas, and now modern technologies like hydro, wind, and solar, energy generation has changed and adapted as requirements have become colossal. Many agree, although there is not yet certainty, that hydrogen will be the next jump in the history of power, and innovation and technology will again be forefront of the drive to globalise this clean, efficient, and versatile carrier.

In 2023, the World Economic Forum stated that hydrogen – the most abundant element in the universe, producing almost no pollution when burnt – would likely play a major role in supporting sustainable energy systems of the future.

“It can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity and heat, making it a potential energy source for buildings and electric vehicles. It can also be used to store renewable energy, helping to balance the supply and demand on the power grid,” WEF found.

But currently, the process of producing hydrogen, especially green hydrogen, is expensive and not achievable for widespread adoption by mainstream governments. In the private sector, however, hydrogen is very much on the agenda for the here and now.

Many companies have made big leaps in the sustainable and affordable production of hydrogen, and the technology that now exists is capable of rolling out at scale. In the early stages of industry development, there are a few big-name players that are making a real difference and advancing a hydrogen industry while demonstrating what is possible.

In Germany, in the Thuringia city of Nordhausen, Maximator Hydrogen is the catalyst behind a German revolution in clean transportation. The company is pioneering the development of hydrogen refuelling for the trucking industry. An expert in high pressure technology, the company was established in 2019 and grew out of the Schmidt Kranz Group, which traces roots back to 1885. Today, the company can deliver across the value chain, from design and development of components to specialist engineering, and across distribution of hydrogen to clients and end users.

MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING

2024 was a milestone year for Maximator, winning multiple awards and working on a number of high-profile projects that continue to draw interest from around the world.

January 2024 saw a continuation of success from 2023 when Maximator was awarded the Innovation and Material category award by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics. The accolade was claimed after Maximator saw off stiff competition from 49 other applicants. The judging panel of 18 experts recognised the brilliance of the highly efficient and fast hydrogen refuelling technology developed in Nordhausen by Maximator. The MAX Compression 2.0 incorporates an Automatic Seal Exchange (ASX), a patented solution for automatically changing the compressor seals, which endure significant stresses from high pressures. Maximator Hydrogen systems can be modularly adapted to different filling stations, from small filling stations to those for heavy commercial vehicles and the scalability of the concept was lauded.

Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister for Economy, Science and Digital Society of Thuringia, said: “The Innovation Award once again demonstrates the attention paid to the major challenges of our time – be it the labour shortage or digitalisation, or the mega task of decarbonisation. In addition, the traditional strengths of Thuringian companies – precision, lighting technology and healthcare – are once again evident in the field of applicants. This diversity is what makes the Thuringia Innovation Award so special and demonstrates the technological capabilities of our state.”

In May, the company claimed the VORSPRUNG award from Minister of State Carsten Schneider following a review across a group of East German companies as part of the East German Business Forum. ‘An outstanding example of innovation and sustainability’, is how the company was described.

Awarded annually for unrivalled innovation, this accolade is hotly contested and Maximator CEO Mathias Kurras was thrilled to accept the award in Berlin alongside his team.

“We are incredibly grateful and happy about this award,” he said. “Our entire team has done a fantastic job to get us closer to our goal of 4,000 compressor systems by 2030. My special thanks go to them in particular.”

IMPRESSIVE PROJECT PIPELINE

April was a very busy month for Maximator, with three major announcements coming from HQ. First, a new subsidiary company was launched in the Netherlands, south of the Hague, with the goal of advancing hydrogen refuelling technology adoption across the BeNeLux region.

Already present in the USA and France, this exciting development sees Maximator join a growing community of hydrogen innovators that are attracted by appealing funding options. There is also a large number of projects underway around production, storage, and distribution of hydrogen making a refuelling network more of a reality in the short- to medium-term.

“We are highly motivated to further expand our expertise in technology and service, which we were able to gather as Maximator in the high-pressure sector, in a new business area related to hydrogen mobility and bring it into the field,” said Mark de Wilde, Managing Director of Maximator Hydrogen BeNeLux and Maximator Benelux.

Also in April 2024, Maximator took to Austria for a growth initiative that sees the company supply hydrogen refuelling stations with integrated trailer filling systems for high availability to Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH in Vienna.

High-performance technology from Maximator combined with Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH and other Vienna organisations driving the city’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.

The new site in Erdbergstraße can refuel light, heavy, and commercial vehicles, and can fill trailers simultaneously. Many corporate clients are already using hydrogen in the region, and this new offering will provide an alternative to the existing infrastructure at Leopoldau.

“We are delighted that our technologies are being put into practice and see Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH as an important pioneer for the Wiener Stadtwerke Group, which is tackling the implementation of climate targets with a hands-on mentality. We need concrete projects like this,” said René Himmelstein, CSO and CO-Founder of Maximator Hydrogen.

In Germany’s east, in the bustling city of Cottbus, a new project has been announced involving the construction of a new hydrogen refuelling station alongside production capacity for green hydrogen to promote emission-free mobility in public transport across the region.

A collaboration between Maximator, MoviaTec, Cottbusverkehr, and LEAG, the project will allow buses to be refuelled at 350 bar or 700 bar using the latest MAX Dispenser 1.5 technology for a fleet of, initially, 11 vehicles. Storage and compression on site combined with a remote control monitoring and service desk allows for high levels of efficiency, and Maximator’s ASX will effectively address the system’s most stressed components, the hydrogen seals.

“We are grateful to be able to use our technology in eastern Germany and to help shape the economic aspirations and transformation processes of a region. This requires close, partnership-based cooperation between all parties involved in order to achieve the common goal of zero emissions,” reiterated Kurras.

Longer-term, the goal is to promote the sustainable and emission-free transportation industry across the Lusatia region and the State of Brandenburg.

Few organisations in Europe are as proactive as Maximator in showing how the private sector, in collaboration with motivated public-sector partners, can achieve on-the-ground success that directly feeds into the goal that the whole continent shares – emission-free transportation for a better climate and more sustainable future.