Linde AG (Germany) proposed the rapid construction of about 40 hydrogen fueling stations along existing freeways to establish an 1,800 km (1,100 mile) hydrogen ring in Germany. The investment needed for the concept, dubbed "European Hydrogen Highway" and spaced roughly 50 km (31 miles) apart along an "Autobahn" ring linking Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne, would be less than €30 million ($39 million).
"Everywhere in the world hydrogen is already being tested as an energy carrier," stated Linde Management Board Chairman Wolfgang Reitzle. "This 'Autobahn' ring would provide a leg up to the German automobile industry, enabling it to quickly and efficiently gain experience with hydrogen vehicles."
The proposed ring route runs close to the development centers and manufacturing locations of German carmakers. It would enable manufacturers to test their propulsion concepts under realistic conditions, and the real costs of a hydrogen infrastructure would become clear.
