22 december 2023

DATS 24 is opening two new hydrogen refuelling stations in Erpe-Mere and Herve

DATS 24 is preparing the infrastructure for tomorrow's mobility, and is opening two new public hydrogen refuelling stations. These HRS are located at Gentsesteenweg 239 in Erpe-Mere and at Outre-Cour 37 in Herve. The Belgian energy and fuel supplier is thus strengthening its network of hydrogen refuelling stations in the country, and is actively fulfilling its leading role in the energy transition. With six public hydrogen refuelling stations, DATS 24 operates the largest network in Belgium, making hydrogen mobility accessible to more and more people. The opening of the new refuelling stations in Erpe-Mere and Herve is part of the EU's H2Benelux project.

Alongside electric vehicles, hydrogen is a solution for current and future mobility. Refuelling with hydrogen takes less than five minutes and gives vehicles a range of 500 to 700 km. In addition, the range of hydrogen-powered vehicles is not affected by weather conditions, which is still not the case with electric vehicles. This makes it an attractive technology for vehicles that are used intensively, such as long-haul fleets, where electrification is still a challenge.

Furthermore, hydrogen is an excellent option for heavy transport, because there is no need for large, heavy batteries and it offers at least the same range.

In Erpe-Mere, DATS 24 will be opening up a hydrogen refuelling station at a strategic location between Brussels and Ghent, which will be accessible for light vehicles day and night. The same applies for Herve, where the HRS is implemented at a strategic location between Wallonia, Flanders, and Germany. In addition to the new hydrogen refuelling stations in Erpe-Mere and Herve, DATS 24 will also be supplying hydrogen in Halle, Haasrode, Wilrijk and Ollignies. In Halle, DATS 24 is already supplying 100% green hydrogen, which is generated via the green wind energy of the wind turbine on the Dassenveld logistical site of Colruyt Group.

Raf Flebus, Business Unit Manager of DATS 24: “Hydrogen plays an essential role in industry, logistical processes, and soon in transport activities as well. We at DATS 24 sincerely believe that electric-powered transport will become the norm in the future. It is important to engage as many people as possible in the transition to emission-free transport. In various circumstances, hydrogen-electrical transport has shown the strength of complementarity with battery-electrical transport. If we want to accelerate the transition to low-carbon mobility, then we also need to focus on hydrogen as an energy carrier for that mobility.”

Bert De Colvenaer, CEO of WaterstofNet: "The opening of the hydrogen refuelling stations in Herve and Erpe-Mere marks an important step forward in the development of a hydrogen infrastructure in the Benelux. As part of the European H2Benelux project - coordinated by WaterstofNet - these refuelling stations contribute to the realisation of a sustainable, cross-border hydrogen economy. We are delighted that these facilities have been established by DATS 24, a company with a strong commitment and expertise in the field of sustainable mobility. The opening of these stations emphasises the growing role of hydrogen as a key element in the transition to clean energy, and we look forward to further partnerships so we can continue these promising developments along the TEN-T corridor."

DATS 24 is creating the infrastructure and the facilities for hydrogen refuelling, and is now looking for partners within intensive mobility, such as taxi companies, local councils, police forces, etc., who are interested in participating in pilot projects together with DATS 24 and its parent company Virya Energy.

The hydrogen refuelling station was made possible thanks to the support of the H2Benelux project (coordinated by WaterstofNet), part of the Connecting Europe Facility programme, which aims to significantly expand the existing public hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and increase the number of hydrogen-powered vehicles in the Benelux. (Implemented by CINEA).

In addition to the network of DATS 24 refuelling stations, Virya Energy is also developing green hydrogen production projects in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany under own name and via its participation in VoltH2. Virya Energy is also researching the use of green hydrogen in the transition to net zero emissions with partners for industrial and chemical applications, intensive mobility, public transport and heavy transport.

More information about the project on the DATS 24 website.