Hydrogen Trucks Enter Air Liquide’s Dutch Fleet

Air Liquide has rolled out its first hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks in the Netherlands, marking a practical step toward low-carbon logistics at a time when European regulators are tightening expectations on transport-sector decarbonization. The two MAN hTGX trucks, equipped with hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2 ICE), will operate through logistics partner Schenk Tanktransport and serve customers across the greater Rotterdam area.

A Growing Shift Toward Hydrogen in Heavy Transport

Hydrogen continues gaining traction in Europe as a decarbonization tool for commercial fleets where battery-electric models face limits on range, payload, or downtime. The EU’s updated CO₂ standards for heavy-duty vehicles, adopted earlier this year, require new trucks to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030—pressuring operators to diversify beyond diesel. Hydrogen ICE trucks provide familiar drivability and fueling times while eliminating tailpipe CO₂, making them attractive for high-utilization routes.

Across the Netherlands and Germany, early pilots from Daimler, Volvo, and MAN have shown that hydrogen combustion systems can meet demanding operational requirements while using existing maintenance skillsets. Industry analysts note that this segment could scale faster than fuel-cell trucks in the near term due to lower upfront cost and simpler integration into current fleet operations.

Supported by Dutch Hydrogen Mobility Policy

The project is backed by the Dutch government’s SWiM funding program, which subsidizes both hydrogen vehicle purchases and local refueling infrastructure. By covering early cost gaps, the program is designed to create small, functioning hydrogen mobility ecosystems—an approach aligned with broader EU goals for accelerating zero-emissions freight corridors.

Building a Hydrogen Ecosystem

Air Liquide is continuing to invest across the hydrogen value chain, from production to distribution. In the Rotterdam region, these trucks will replace conventional vehicles in the company’s distribution network and support customers already consuming hydrogen for industrial use. The company says this move directly reduces operational CO₂ emissions while demonstrating a scalable model for future deployments.

Why It Matters for the Energy and Logistics Sectors

The deployment underscores a broader trend across Europe: hydrogen is transitioning from demonstration projects to commercial use in heavy transport. Several factors are accelerating this shift:

• Regulatory pressure from EU emissions standards and national climate targets.
• Infrastructure investment, including hydrogen corridors through the Netherlands, Belgium, and western Germany.
• Industry demand for long-range, quick-refuel solutions not easily addressed by batteries.
• Growing availability of green hydrogen, supported by renewable capacity additions and EU funding mechanisms.

Erwin Penfornis, Vice President, Hydrogen Energy world business line, stated: 

"At Air Liquide, we believe sustainability demands action. The implementation of these first hydrogen trucks in our operations is a powerful and concrete example of our commitment to lead the transformation of the heavy duty transport sector with our various partners along the value chain. We are proud to take this decisive step in The Netherlands and we look forward to broadening our hydrogen-powered logistics solutions across our network."