Designing, building, and installing a hydrogen refueling station (HRS) is a complex and time-consuming process, compared to a station for traditional fuels, because the technology is still relatively new and immature. 

All the more reason to celebrate important steps in the realization of Luxembourg's first hydrogen station (H2) that will open at the end of September! One such milestone was the arrival of the H2 station units, including compressor housing and buffer storage, at their destination in Bettembourg on a beautiful sunny day last April. Another important achievement is that the project team recently succeeded in convincing the Luxembourg Notified Body (NoBo) to officially cooperate with its counterpart from the Netherlands in the national metrological verification of the station's H2 dispenser. 

The transition to sustainable transport is an urgent necessity. The development of the very first H2 station in the Grand Duchy is therefore an important step in making this alternative fuel available in Luxembourg and in establishing a reliable network for its delivery on major European road corridors. The new station will supply H2 at pressures of 700 bar, suitable for passenger cars and other light vehicles, and 350 bar, mainly used for heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks and is part of the European H2Benelux project. 

The realization project is a collaboration between the local affiliate, TotalEnergies Marketing Luxembourg (TMLU), and the Hydrogen Mobility Solutions (H2MS) and Gas Mobility (GMOB) business units. Thanks to the work and commitment of many teams, we have reached an important milestone in the realization of TotalEnergies' first hydrogen refueling station project in Luxembourg: The station has been delivered to the Bettembourg site!" wrote Adrien Jung, the affiliate’s on-site Hydrogen Project Coordinator, on his LinkedIn account. "The stars were aligned with perfect weather for this highly anticipated event and the operation went off without a hitch," Adrien continues. "We still have work to do before the station officially opens, but we are determined to complete this exciting project and contribute to the energy transition."

National verification

"The relationship with a local Notified Body (NoBo) is key to the success of a hydrogen station development project and this is also true for HRS Luxembourg," says Marcela de Vries, former Project Manager on behalf of GMOB’s Engineering and Production department (PRO). A new technical installation such as this one requires national verification, which is why the project team decided to involve Luxembourg’s NoBo, Institut luxembourgeois de normalisation et de métrologie (ILNAS), as early as possible. “One of the challenges we face, however, is that ILNAS is not familiar with certifying a hydrogen refueling installation and there are no local regulations yet,” explained Marcela. The Dutch NoBo, NMi, was therefore invited to the table, given the experience and positive relationship they have built with GMOB in the Netherlands; including the country’s first 350 and 700 bar H2 dispenser certifications at TotalEnergies’ HRS in Arnhem. After several discussions between ILNAS, NMi and TotalEnergies, ILNAS has officially accepted NMi as the party assisting during the national verification of the H2 dispenser. Specifically, NMi will provide the equipment and personnel needed to perform the initial verification tests of the dispenser. “With this news, we are one step closer to the commissioning of the first hydrogen station in Luxembourg!," according to Marcela.  

Source: TotalEnergies Newsletter