Energy: First hydrogen-powered port tractor for freight movement

The first hydrogen vehicle for freight transport, developed by an all-Italian team comprising Athena Consortium, ENEA, University of Naples 'Parthenope' and Cantieri del Mediterraneo, was presented in the port of Valencia, Spain.

The vehicle was tested for the first time in the Spanish airport by the Grimaldi group, in the Ro-Ro terminal managed by its affiliate Valencia Terminal Europe, as part of the European H2ports project worth 4 million euros.

A prototype port tractor equipped with a hybrid fuel cell and battery powertrain, it enables the vehicle to perform all the tasks required during loading/unloading operations of goods from cargo ships. Its storage system has a total capacity of approximately 12 kilograms of hydrogen, guaranteeing continuous operation for at least six hours, or the average duration of a work shift. Its hybrid powertrain - composed of a high-performance lithium-ion battery, with an energy capacity of 25 kWh, and a 70 kW fuel cell module - shows high operational efficiency, thanks also to kinetic energy recovery. The vehicle does not produce any polluting emissions, since its hydrogen fuel system emits only water and heat.