Hydrogen refueling will soon be possible in Kolhorn. Avia Marees has given the starting signal for the construction of a hydrogen refueling station, also the first in the Kop van Noord-Holland. Cars are expected to be able to do so within a few weeks.
With more than 60 gas stations, Avia Marees is in the middle of the energy transition. The North Holland family business previously invested in fast chargers for electric driving and also offers alternative fuels for the b2b market and at its filling stations. In addition, it is now also preparing to supply vehicles with hydrogen at the pump.
At the Kolhorn location, a so-called 'slow-fill installation' will be installed, produced by Resato International. Here, motorists can fill up their hydrogen car. The family business itself is setting a good example by taking to the road with its own hydrogen car.
Hydrogen is considered a promising fuel when it comes to making road traffic CO2-free. At the moment, there are only a few filling stations where motorists can fill up. Tank owners are waiting for sufficient demand from the market, while motorists are waiting for a sufficiently large supply to fill up with hydrogen.
By installing a hydrogen filling station, director Dick Jan Marees wants to help break that deadlock. He emphasizes that it is a small-scale project, mainly intended to gain experience. “Various initiatives with hydrogen are underway throughout the Netherlands, but it takes a very long time. That is why we said: let us install such a filling station.”
The hydrogen filling station will initially be supplied by means of bottle racks with gas bottles. In the initial phase, that will be enough to meet the demand, Marees expects. "If it turns out that we need to scale up, we will invest in that."
One of the options that is open to Dick Jan Marees is to offer hydrogen from the Hygro hydrogen mill in Wieringermeer. “Once it is operational, we could start filling the bottle rack there. Or perhaps a direct connection is possible. Ultimately, that is the best thing: hydrogen that is produced locally.”
Within the DUWAAL project, work is also being done on an NXT hydrogen filling station on the Boekelermeer business park. This filling station of GP Groot receives sustainably produced hydrogen directly from a nearby Hygro hydrogen mill. The intention is that hydrogen can actually be refueled at the filling station from spring onwards.
