New facility will supply buses, trucks, and cars with regionally produced hydrogen.
The city of Kiel has officially inaugurated its first public hydrogen refueling station, marking a major step toward emission-free mobility in northern Germany. The opening ceremony, attended by Schleswig-Holstein Minister President Daniel Günther and industry representatives, celebrated the launch of the HY.Kiel project after five years of planning and construction.
The new station, equipped with 350 and 700 bar fuel pumps, will now enter trial operations, providing locally produced green hydrogen for buses, trucks, and passenger cars. Central to the initiative is a two-megawatt electrolysis plant capable of producing up to 180 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, equivalent to supporting 26,500 emission-free kilometres per day and saving around 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year.
The Federal Ministry of Transport contributed approximately €5.5 million in funding, channelled through Germany’s National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP) and supported under the EU’s NextGenerationEU recovery scheme.
“HY.Kiel shows how future technology can become a reality: Green hydrogen, locally produced, makes emission-free mobility in Kiel possible,” said Dr. Claudia Elif Stutz, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport. “Our federal funding supports projects that not only advance climate protection, but also strengthen regions and generate new opportunities for the economy and society.”
Looking ahead, Autokraft, a subsidiary of DB Regio Bus Nord, plans to deploy two hydrogen-powered buses in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district. Local logistics and commercial operators have also expressed interest in adopting hydrogen vehicles.
Beyond transport, the green hydrogen produced in Kiel could also be delivered to other refueling stations or used in industry, further embedding the city into Germany’s hydrogen economy.
