Dutch hydrogen truck scheme grants €44m in vehicle subsidies | Mobility

The Dutch government has awarded over €44m ($50m) for transportation operators integrating hydrogen-fuelled trucks into their fleets.

Granted under the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management’s Hydrogen in Mobility Subsidy Scheme (SWIM), funds will cover up to 80% of the cost gap to diesel vehicles.

Fountain Fuel, a Dutch clean energy company in line for €13.6 ($15.4m) in subsidies, claimed hydrogen-fuelled trucks will grant it practical benefits including greater towing capability and payload, short fuelling times, and price stability compared to diesel.

According to Fountain, which received €8.2m ($9.3m) through SWIM to roll out hydrogen refuelling stations in 2024, the new programme saw over €80m ($90.8m) in subsidies sought against a €44m budget.

The scheme comes amid building momentum for hydrogen-powered heavy trucking in Europe, despite recent EU data showing the molecule as the most expensive transport fuel on a per-kilometre basis bloc-wide.

Across 17 member states, prices reached up to €20.62 ($24.13) per 100km, with comparable figures of €11.78 ($13.78) for electric and €10.66 ($12.47) for petrol and diesel.

However, mobility players continue to back hydrogen for trucking.

Major hydrogen supplier Air Liquide, trucking coalition H2Accelerate, and a group featuring Daimler Truck, Volvo Group, and Toyota have all urged the EU to copy Germany’s framework to accelerate parity with diesel transportation.

These measures include a green hydrogen credit trading mechanism, toll exemptions, and funding for trucks and refuelling stations, widely seen as improving the fuel’s economics in the country.

While hydrogen’s role in mobility more broadly remains unclear, heavy-duty, long-haul transport is emerging as a favourable use case, with majors paying rising attention to the end-use, as using the molecule to power passenger vehicles loses traction.