Hydrogen in practice: sera's own H₂ refuelling station

The Challenge

At its Immenhausen plant, sera wanted to eventually operate its internal logistics and parts of its vehicle fleet in an emission-free manner. However, battery-powered industrial trucks reach their limits in multi-shift operations due to long charging times and declining performance in cold weather. Internal combustion engine vehicles are unsuitable for indoor use due to emissions and noise concerns. At the same time, there was a lack of suitable hydrogen infrastructure to refuel vehicles quickly and flexibly. The company was looking for a practical solution to test hydrogen mobility under real-world operating conditions.

The sera Solution

A dedicated hydrogen refueling station was built on the company premises in Immenhausen. The hydrogen is delivered in cylinder bundles, stored in a 20-foot container, and compressed to the required pressure using a compact membrane compressor. A dispenser located nearby enables the refueling of vehicles, which communicate with the refueling station control system via a data interface. Currently, a 70-MPa filling coupling is available for the company’s own hydrogen vehicle, and a 35-MPa extension for industrial trucks is being prepared. The system is designed so that green hydrogen and new generations of compressors can also be integrated later.

Benefits

• Emissions-free refueling of vehicles directly on the factory premises
• Short refueling times instead of long charging cycles
• Real-world operational experience with hydrogen infrastructure and logistics
• Technical foundation for the gradual transition of intralogistics

Summary

The company’s own H₂ refueling station in Immenhausen serves as a practical test bed for hydrogen mobility and demonstrates how emission-free intralogistics can be realistically implemented.