First garbage truck on hydrogen deploys in Sweden On June 17t | Tech for Good

First garbage truck on hydrogen deploys in Sweden

On June 17th, Sweden's first hydrogen-powered garbage truck came online in Gothenburg. Its power system is based on PowerCell's fuel cell technology. The electrification provided by the hydrogen-electric powertrain means that the refuse truck can complete a full work shift without refueling, just like its diesel or natural gas-powered counterpart.

PowerCell Sweden AB was founded in 2008 as an industrial spinout from the Volvo Group. It has developed fuel cells and fuel cell systems since the mid-1990s and is today world-leading in the field. When the world's first hydrogen-electric flight of a commercial airplane took place in September last year, a fuel cell system from PowerCell was onboard.

The hydrogen-electric refuse truck was deployed by the waste management and recycling company Renova and was built jointly by PowerCell, Renova, Scania, and JOAB. Electricity produced onboard will propel the vehicle and power the loading and compression of the refuse. The heat generated will be used to heat the cab.

A truck powered by fuel cells features the same driveability, range, uptime, and payload capacity as a diesel-powered truck, but it does not have any emissions other than water. The time required to fuel the vehicle will be the same as for the regular diesel-powered refuse truck.

Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell Sweden AB, says that one of the many advantages of fuel cells and hydrogen gas is that they have a minimal impact on customer's operational processes. That will be crucial for a broad phase-out of fossil fuels to gain momentum in the future.

Source: FuelCellsWorks

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