“Protecting People and the Environment with Hydrogen Propulsion”

New Refuse Collector with H2 Drive in Herten

On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the city of Herten commissioned its first new hydrogen-powered refuse collection vehicle for residual and organic waste collection. The second vehicle has been ordered and will be delivered shortly. Mayor Matthias Müller took the opportunity to present the vehicle to the public together with ZBH Operations Manager Thorsten Westerheide and Head of Waste Management Gregor Born.

On this occasion, Mayor Müller noted that Herten holds a pioneering position in hydrogen technology. “Here in Herten, with the Hydrogen Competence Center and the filling station, we have ideal conditions. It is good that we are utilizing this new technology in our vehicle fleet, thereby protecting people and the environment,” said Müller. “The city of Herten’s fleet is thus becoming more environmentally friendly and modern, vehicle by vehicle,” added City Planning Officer Janine Feldmann.

The fuel cells of the new refuse collector from Faun can generate electricity for propulsion from 2×8 kg hydrogen tanks. Refueling with 700 bar pressure initially takes place at the hydrogen filling station on the former Ewald colliery site. With the opening of the large filling station at the AGR-RZR waste-to-energy plant in southern Herten, green hydrogen will then even be refueled directly next to the unloading area. This hydrogen is generated at the RZR from the delivered waste. This closes the loop, and waste is recycled practically and environmentally friendly.

The acquisition of fuel cell refuse collection vehicles is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure with a total of 1,409,371 Euros within the framework of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).