For this project, VERVAEKE invested in a new bulk trailer and will use the new combination to transport PVC for its customer INEOS Inovyn.
After several test runs on the test track and on public roads, the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks have been declared ready to be used in the daily activity of five major players. As each of them operates in a different sector, the hydrogen trucks are being tested for various applications. Through these field tests, Daimler Truck’s engineering team said it wishes to acquire a better understanding of the specific needs of the different customers and take these into account in further developments towards series production.
Frédéric Derumeaux, CEO of VERVAEKE, said: ‘I am very proud that VERVAEKE may be part of this test fleet. Liquid hydrogen can represent an excellent solution towards CO2-free long-distance transport and can be considered complementary to other technologies such as battery-electric trucks.
“As a forward-looking logistics provider, we want to actively participate in setting the trend towards a greener way of conducting business, also within heavy transport. Nevertheless, it is important to emphasise that investments in (liquid) hydrogen-powered vehicles will only be successful if governments provide sufficient refueling infrastructure. The running costs of this infrastructure should also be in line with the costs of the same infrastructure for conventional vehicles. There is still a long way to go on that front, as there is for the production of sufficient (green) hydrogen.”
Moreover, in this exercise towards more sustainable freight transport, it is also interesting to look at the entire logistics chain as a whole, said the company. The cooperation VERVAEKE and INEOS Inovyn have set up for this specific project fits perfectly within this vision.
The commercial test runs for PVC transport can be carried out in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. VERVAEKE thus becomes the first European carrier to provide emission-free transport within the chemical industry. A recent change in legislation makes it possible from 1 January 2025 for new hydrogen trucks to be ADR approved. This evolution will allow VERVAEKE to also transport other products with hydrogen trucks.