Hydrogen technology is gaining ground in mobility
We see enormous potential in hydrogen technologies to fundamentally change mobility and take a big step towards CO2 neutrality in the short term. KEYOU has established itself as an innovative pioneer in the development of such technologies by converting existing combustion engines that have been tried and tested over many years to run on hydrogen. This approach enables a cost-efficient decarbonization of the transport sector, especially freight transport, without fleet operators having to replace their entire vehicle fleet.
However, there are still some challenges to overcome in the process chain on the way to hydrogen mobility, for which DILO and KEYOU can jointly develop solutions. In order to put this strategic partnership on a solid footing from the outset and to demonstrate our commitment, we decided to invest after just a few joint discussions, as our two teams also harmonize excellently on a personal level.
Hydrogen mobility in Germany and Europe is currently developing very dynamically. It is largely undisputed among experts that it will not be possible to decarbonize freight transport in the near future without the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles. More and more traditional car manufacturers such as Daimler and BMW are taking this technology very seriously, but many start-ups have also already developed promising concepts. Nevertheless, hydrogen mobility in Germany and Europe is still in its infancy, as politicians have long been very one-sided in promoting the use of battery-powered vehicles, i.e. electric cars.
But here too, a rethink is slowly taking place, which we believe is absolutely necessary if we Europeans do not want to leave this field completely to other nations such as China or the USA. All in all, we see hydrogen mobility as a huge opportunity for the European economy. This is particularly true if, as with the KEYOU approach, we succeed in using the expertise we have acquired over more than a hundred years in vehicle and engine construction for the further development of hydrogen mobility.
Of course, it is essential for the further development of hydrogen mobility that a hydrogen infrastructure is established as quickly as possible. Although there are already more than 100 hydrogen filling stations in Germany, we are still a long way from having anything even approaching a nationwide network. If we look at freight transport, hydrogen-based drive concepts often become unattractive simply because route planning becomes much more complicated. A second inhibiting factor is the high cost of producing green hydrogen and therefore its availability. Especially in comparison with existing drive technologies based on fossil fuels, this results in serious competitive disadvantages.
In addition, we would of course like to see much more support and funding for this technology from politicians, as it is impossible to establish a nationwide infrastructure without stable and supportive legislation and funding. In our view, it would be absolutely desirable for Germany and Europe if the ideologically motivated headwind from politics were to change into a technologically well-founded tailwind.
About DILO GmbH
For 70 years, DILO has stood for the professional processing, mixing and extraction of gases. With its four core areas of expertise SF6 gas, alternative insulating gases, systems for industrial gases and high-pressure pipe connections, the technology leader offers everything required for successful gas handling. The product portfolio is complemented by services for mixing, separating and processing insulating and extinguishing gases. 80 agencies, 30 service points and 3 service centers ensure that DILO solutions are in use worldwide.
Christian Scheller has been CEO of DILO Armaturen und Anlagen for 13 years. www.dilo.eu