With environmental awareness and the transition to zero-emissions more top-of-mind than ever before, the industry is undergoing a gradual, albeit certain shift away from fossil fuels to either electric or renewable energy sources, especially when it comes to mobility. While electric vehicles are a clear and solid way forward, hydrogen presents itself as a strong option, too, especially if the concerns surrounding its production are addressed.
You see, technically speaking, the only emissions that come out of hydrogen-powered vehicles are warm air and water vapor. As such, hydrogen-powered vehicles, just like EVs, are indeed considered zero-emissions. At least that’s what the U.S. Department of Energy says. The concern arises in the production of hydrogen fuel, which can be very energy intensive, and as such, may sometimes require the use of non-renewable energy sources. This is where Bosch enters the picture, as it is now investing heavily towards hydrogen infrastructure, with the goal of having a climate-neutral hydrogen production system in place.
Rolf Najork, a board member of Bosch, stated in an article by French motoring publication Le Repaire Des Motards, “On the path to a climate-neutral future, we must enable energy-intensive industries to switch to renewable energy. Hydrogen will be a key element in security of supply.” The company has invested a substantial one-billion Euros towards hydrogen infrastructure, with Bosch hoping that hydrogen fuel will be a strong alternative to battery power—which in itself presents a few glaring issues, particularly when it comes to waste.
To do this, the business plans to diversify into a number of industries by creating fuel cells for mobile and stationary systems, putting compressors in hydrogen service stations, and creating its own carbon-free hydrogen. The business has chosen to employ electrolyzed green hydrogen for both production and mobility at its Bosch Industry 4.0 facility in Homburg, Saarland. Due to the fact that 90 percent of the organization's overall energy usage is dependent on manufacturing alone, this is a means for the company to minimize its carbon output.
The construction of service stations is another crucial component of the Bosch initiative. Bosch plans to test a system for compressing hydrogen, storing it, and then distributing the fuel to service stations in collaboration with Maximator Hydrogen. By 2030, it is intended to have at least 4,000 hydrogen service stations set up all over the world.
