Members of the European Union have reached an agreement on new CO2 fleet emission standards for trucks and buses across Europe.

These new standards will set figures for the allowable future emissions of CO2 from heavy vehicles. Emissions from trucks over 7.5 tons are required to be reduced by 45 per cent by 2030 – an ambitious goal.

Continuing into the coming decades, these emissions will then need to drop by 65 per cent by 2035, and 90 per cent by 2040 compared to a 2019 baseline.

Any trucks powered exclusively by e-fuels – be they electric or hydrogen – will be granted indefinite approval from the emissions requirements.

After EU state negotiators agreed in January that stricter emissions requirements would be necessary, this measure aims to provide legal certainty for both vehicle manufacturers and alternative fuel providers.

Currently, there are an estimated 921 hydrogen fuelling stations operating worldwide, with 37 new stations opening in Europe in 2023. This makes for a total of 265 stations across the continent, with Germany leading the way with 105.

According to H2stations.org, 92 per cent of the stations built across the last 12 months in Europe are able to refuel heavy vehicles, making hydrogen trucking significantly more viable internationally.

Across the rest of the world, an additional 12 stations opened in Japan in 2023, 29 in South Korea, and seven in North America.

Australia’s first hydrogen refuelling station for trucks – located in Port Kembla in Wollongong, NSW – opened in July 2023, putting Australia on the map.

Most of the new hydrogen stations in Europe are designed to fuel heavy-duty vehicles, reflecting a shift in focus from fuel cell passenger cars to commercial vehicles, according to H2stations.

Germany is also upgrading existing stations to serve heavy-duty vehicles. Internationally, East Asia and the US are leading in the number of hydrogen fuelling stations.