Sustainable waste collection in Helmond region about to begin

SUEZ Recycling & Recovery Nederland, a specialist in waste and raw materials management, is participating in the REVIVE project. In collaboration with Blink (a public-private partnership of eight municipalities and SUEZ, active in waste collection and cleaning) two brand-new hydrogen-powered electric vehicles will be deployed from the beginning of May in the Helmond region. This will bring zero emission collection within reach. 

“This European project is intended to gain large-scale experience with driving on hydrogen. It is also a demonstration project to show what possibilities there already are,” says Iwan te Winkel, Collection & Operations Director at SUEZ. “A heavy-duty garbage truck running on hydrogen has the same capabilities and range as a diesel vehicle. The big advantage, of course, is that the vehicles are clean; the only emission is water vapor. In addition, they are quiet, ideal for urban areas.” The innovative hydrogen-powered vehicles were developed by E-Trucks Europe. The refuse trucks refuel at WaterstofNet’s hydrogen refuelling station at the Automotive Campus in Helmond.

“Blink’s working area has both urban and rural areas. This makes us an ideal testing ground to test out these hydrogen trucks under all conceivable conditions,” says Mark Vaal, director of Blink. “In addition, with this pilot project the participating municipalities are making a clear and sustainable statement regarding the future of the collection of raw materials from households.”

Sustainable ambitions
The hydrogen trucks will be used in the municipalities of Asten, Deurne, Gemert-Bakel, Helmond, Laarbeek, Nuenen, Someren and Heeze-Leende. The refuse trucks will be on the road at the beginning of May 2021. This method of collection helps municipalities to achieve their sustainable ambitions. The deployment of these vehicles will also provide a wealth of information that will play an important role in future decision-making about the method of emission-free collection. It is hoped that this project will accelerate the market introduction of hydrogen vehicles, so that in the near future we will be able to collect completely without any harmful emissions.

Joint responsibility
Participation in REVIVE is a logical step for SUEZ as part of its sustainable strategy, stresses Te Winkel. “Sustainability is at the forefront of all our activities: from collection to processing of waste. Emission-free collection is a key objective in this respect. By cooperating with partners in projects like this, we are working together towards a better world. We therefore have every confidence in a successful project.”

“The experience that our partners build up within the REVIVE project is an important step towards the commercialization of sustainable waste collection and the further scaling up of hydrogen technology for heavy trucks,” concludes Dimitri Van den Borre, Project Manager at Tractebel and coordinator of the REVIVE project.

More info on the REVIVE website or via:
Suez and Blink