Interview: Jonas Brendelberger (Zepp.solutions) on hydrogen CHE

According to Dutch company Zepp.solutions, hydrogen fuel cells are a viable power option for CHE at ports. The challenge is developing the infrastructure and business case for large-scale deployment.

Zepp.solutions was founded in 2017 as a spin-off from Delft University of Technology to develop fuel cell systems for heavy-duty vehicles, machinery and vessels. It has developed 50kW and 150kW hydrogen fuel cells that can be combined to meet higher power requirements.

Zepp.solutions’ technology is used across a range of applications, including maritime vessels, construction equipment, mobile power generation and airport ground support equipment. In an interview with WorldCargo News, the company’s CCO and co-founder, Jonas Brendelberger, argues that ports, where a “captive fleet” of machines operates in a defined environment across multiple shifts, are particularly suitable for hydrogen.

The company has two pilot projects at ports: a Terberg YT203-H2 terminal tractor in the Port of Rotterdam; and a Konecranes Noell straddle carrier at HHLA’s Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT) in Hamburg. Both use hydrogen-electric architectures combining a fuel cell and a battery, but the Konecranes straddle carrier requires considerably more power than the Terberg tractor. For the Terberg tractor, zepp.solutions developed and integrated the ­hydrogen-electric powertrain. Testing began in 2020, with support from the Dutch government’s DKTI transport innovation programme.

This story was originally published by World Cargo News. Read the full story at World Cargo News →