CMB.TECH has opened the first multimodal hydrogen refueling station in Antwerp, Belgium. It is the first refueling station to produce green hydrogen which will be used to power ships, tube trailers, cars, trucks and buses. In addition to the hydrogen refueling station, CMB.TECH launched a hydrogen truck with the symbolic name: Lenoir, a reference to the French-speaking Belgian who in 1860 built the first internal combustion engine powered by hydrogen.

CMB (Compagnie Maritime Belge) is a diversified shipping and logistics group based in Antwerp. CMB owns and operates 139 seagoing vessels in dry bulk (Bocimar), container transport (Delphis), chemical tankers (Bochem) & crew transfer vessels (Windcat). CMB.TECH is CMB’s cleantech division.

CMB.TECH is strongly committed to hydrogen solutions for industrial and maritime applications. The launch of the Hydroville in 2017, the first hydrogen-powered passenger ship, gave impetus to this commitment. Until now, the Hydroville has been supplied with hydrogen by a tube trailer (mobile hydrogen refueling station). From now on the Hydroville, in addition to the other hydrogen applications of CMB.TECH, will be able to refuel in Antwerp.

With the realization of the hydrogen refueling station, CMB.TECH proves that it is able to control the entire chain, from the production of the green fuel to the use of hydrogen in various applications. The concept will be further refined in the coming months and is ready to be scaled up.

In the future ports will become hydrogen hotspots, because they have a large concentration of applications that are difficult to electrify. In addition, many ports will have access to hydrogen, either through large electrolysis plants or through imports. We are therefore very pleased that, after two and a half years of development, we are now able to put the station into operation.

—Roy Campe, CTO CMB.TECH

The hydrogen refueling station will be built at the Port House in Antwerp. CMB.TECH deliberately chose this location on the border between the city and the port to be able to supply hydrogen to the many industrial applications in the port on the one hand and on the other to keep it easily accessible to the general public.

Lenoir truck. In addition to the hydrogen refueling station, CMB.TECH launched a dual-fuel truck running on hydrogen. The dual fuel technology is feasible, affordable and green and allows for the conversion of different applications in the short term.

For the hydrogen refueling station, CMB.TECH is collaborating with specialized partners such as Ekinetix, Ballast Nedam Industriebouw, Alpha Engineering, Maximator and Cummins.