Air Liquide announced the roll-out of its first hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks for its activities in the Netherlands. This new initiative reinforces Air Liquide's commitment to decarbonizing transportation and accelerating the shift toward sustainable and low-carbon mobility solutions.

The first two MAN hTGX trucks, powered by hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2 ICE), will be operated by Air Liquide's local logistics partner, Schenk Tanktransport, a leading player in sustainable logistics across the Benelux. The trucks will be integrated into Air Liquide's existing distribution network in order to replace conventional vehicles. This new fleet will deliver hydrogen to customers across the greater Rotterdam area. By using hydrogen as a fuel source, Air Liquide will reduce its operational CO₂ emissions in this region.

For the demanding requirements of heavy-duty transport, hydrogen offers a compelling value proposition. It uniquely combines the core operational benefits of conventional vehicles — fast refueling and long-range capability — with the environmental advantage of eliminating carbon emissions at the tailpipe. This allows logistics operators to maintain high vehicle availability and payload capacity, ensuring a seamless transition to sustainable freight without compromising on performance.

This approach illustrates Air Liquide's commitment to tangible action. In addition to investing across the entire hydrogen value chain, from production to end-use, we actively collaborate with key partners to build the necessary ecosystem. 

The deployment of this project is directly linked to and supported by the Dutch government's SWiM (Subsidie Waterstof in Mobiliteit) funding scheme. This program helps make hydrogen mobility competitively closing the initial cost gap. It works by simultaneously providing funding for both the purchase of the vehicles and the refueling infrastructure. This strategic approach helps create viable local ecosystems for sustainable solutions, building a model that could be replicated elsewhere to decarbonize road transportation more broadly.