Electrification of the transport sector already began and the Nordic countries, specifically Norway and Iceland, have taken major steps resulting in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) already accounting for a substantial percentage of the total sales. The world is looking towards the Nordics as they are providing global examples for success.

However, little is happening regarding larger vehicles as battery solution still are not able to provide heavy-duty users (e.g., buses, trucks and lorries) the mobility they need. Fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen as a fuel can solve this. The project focuses on providing infrastructure for a large-scale deployment of trucks, buses and lorries. The goal is to further stimulate the global technological lead, which the Nordic countries have by stimulating the very first hydrogen infrastructure roll-out for larger vehicles while at the same time map how the infrastructure build-up needs to be done, so that the transition to hydrogen vehicles can happen smoothly.

Such roll-out will also benefit the use of hydrogen for trains and the maritime sector. Furthermore, in addition of sourcing the hydrogen as a by-product from the industry, in the Nordic region we have the unique opportunity to produce the hydrogen in a green manner exploiting renewable electricity production.

This publication from the Next Wave project, co-financed by Nordic Innovation, offers a prospectus of using hydrogen in heavy-duty equipment, including non-road mobile machinery.