Gases and engineering specialist Linde Group has been selected by Mercedes-Benz as the exclusive hydrogen partner for the F-Cell World Drive. This endurance trip will send three B-Class F-Cell hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars right around the world.
Over the entire tour, Linde will be the sole supplier of mobile hydrogen (H2) for the zero-emissions F-Cell models. The trip will take each of the cars around 30,000 kilometres across four continents and 14 countries in 125 days.
“We are excited at the opportunity to partner with Mercedes-Benz and help showcase the capabilities of hydrogen-powered cars,” said Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, chief executive of Linde. “Many years of experience in hydrogen technologies make us the partner of choice for both stationary and mobile refuelling facilities – even in the most challenging environments. Through projects such as the F-Cell World Drive, we are helping to accelerate the widespread establishment of a hydrogen infrastructure.”
Specially for the tour, Linde and Mercedes-Benz co-developed a new mobile 700-bar refuelling unit based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This houses all the technology required to compress and fuel H2 on the move. Key design criteria included 700-bar refuelling pressure and a compact footprint for easy transport by air. Linde also developed the entire H2 supply and logistics concept for the 400 or so refuelling stops planned around the globe, remote regions included. Linde will supply around 18,000 normal cubic metres of hydrogen in total for the tour.
Looking beyond the F-Cell World Drive, Daimler and Linde are working closely together on other projects to secure hydrogen supplies over the coming years as the number of fuel-cell cars on the roads increases. Both companies have been actively involved in the ‘H2 Mobility’ initiative since 2009 for instance. Many big players, including companies from the oil and utilities sectors, have teamed up to build a nationwide H2 infrastructure in Germany under the umbrella of ‘H2 Mobility’.
Linde is a leading supplier of hydrogen fuelling systems. The company has already equipped more than 70 stations in 15 countries and has thus supported well over 200,000 successful H2 refuelling stops worldwide.