H2roadtrip to refuel at PRF’s Portuguese facility this month
A modified hydrogen-powered Ford has begun travelling across 12 countries in Europe and will refuel at PRF Gas Solutions’ facility in Leiria, Portugal, next week (June 14).
H2roadtrip began in April in Oslo, Norway, and aims to travel 12,000km’s during 100 days using hydrogen. The vehicle is being driven by André Molengraaf and his wife Els, both from the Netherlands.
A Ford F-150 Lighting pick-up truck has been retrofitted to use hydrogen. Batteries will be charged during the drive from a hydrogen-driven generator, with two extra storage tanks placed in a specially designed trailer camper, which is being used as the mobile home for the team.
Using a fuel cell in combination with the 28kg of hydrogen results in the trailer weighing up to seven tonnes. The vehicle will travel 1,200km on hydrogen only, which Molengraaf said will “cover the distances between the filling stations and facilities during our trip to secure zero emission.”
The two entrepreneurs will finish their trip in Istanbul, Turkey, after passing through Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
The energy for the mobile home will be provided by the hydrogen generator, meaning cooking, hot water and other electric appliances for daily use will be zero emission. In addition, PV solar panels have been placed on the roof.
Molengraaf commented, “Over the last decade people always spoke about hydrogen as the fuel for the future. With our H2roadtrip, we want to show the world that this future has already started.
“We want to prove that with the right source and planning, there is no limitation today to really start the transition to hydrogen.”
PRF launched a portable hydrogen refuelling station in Cascais, Portugal, in 2021 capable of refuelling buses and light vehicles at 350 bar and had plans at the time to expand to 700 bar.
Click here for the article.