Avranches, Normandy, France: Chereau is encouraging companies to set up hydrogen plants at distribution sites to encourage hydrogen refrigeration in trucks.
Chereau is testing hydrogen-based technology for refrigeration as part of its Road project to develop more sustainable transport refrigeration.In the face of few hydrogen stations for trucks it proposes to integrate a production and distribution station on each industrial site of the cold logistics chain. It is possible to produce green hydrogen locally using photovoltaic panels on roofs along with an electrolyser and a storage tank.
Industrial buildings with large roof areas are ideal for this which makes it possible to overcome the short- and medium-term limitations of the lack of any hydrogen charing network.
“The deployment of the production of green hydrogen, the distribution of hydrogen, and the production and sale of hydrogen-powered refrigerated semi-trailers and tractors, should act as a catalyst to initiate the hydrogen-powered cold chain market, and enable even faster and more extensive industrial deployment in the future: Chereau said.
Damien Destremau, president, Chereau, said: “We are already engaged in the energy transition. It is embedded in our corporate values and our actions: hydrogen-powered refrigerated semi-trailer, a world premiere; support for Energy Observer; commitment to a neutral energy balance at our Ducey site in 2025…
“But this is not enough. We still need to accelerate and federate, because if we want the world to change, more of us need to get involved. In mid-April, in response to the call for expressions of interest issued by the French government, we proposed a hydrogen cold chain logistics project called H2Coldchain. This project has received many letters of support.
“So, I am also launching an appeal: food and pharmaceutical manufacturers, temperature-controlled transporters, distributors, join us! Let’s totally decarbonise our industry by 2030, it’s possible, the technologies are ready. “
