Air Products/RVK: Groundbreaking for "Green Fuel Station" in Meckenheim

The official groundbreaking ceremony recently took place in Meckenheim, marking the actual start of construction for a new hydrogen and electricity filling station. Last year, the city of Meckenheim, Air Products GmbH, and Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK) as the owner of the site in Kottenforst set the "Green Station" in Meckenheim in motion. The developer of the fueling facility in the business park is Air Products.

"The RVK branch in Meckenheim is the gateway for our route network in the left bank Rhine-Sieg district. Since we are currently and in the coming months introducing numerous buses with alternative drives—especially with hydrogen—we want and must be well prepared infrastructure-wise," explains RVK Managing Director Dr. Marcel Frank.

In the Future, 108 Fuel Cell Buses in the RVK Fleet

Thanks to a funding commitment from the Federal Ministry of Transport in 2022, no fewer than 108 fuel cell buses are to be integrated into the RVK fleet by mid-2025. Therefore, the expansion of refueling infrastructure is of great importance and urgency. A large part of the funded vehicles is intended for the left-bank Rhein-Sieg district.

The construction of the refueling station is designed in two phases. RVK and Air Products plan to commission the first phase in the second quarter of 2025. Then refueling at 350 bar for the hydrogen buses will be enabled. Phase 2 envisions public access to the station and 700-bar refueling for trucks and cars.

Jörg Hömberg, Managing Director of Air Products GmbH, explains: “As the world's largest hydrogen supplier, we are now one step closer to our goal of providing low-carbon energy for emission-free fleets. Our plan is to develop a coherent network of hydrogen refueling stations that covers the main logistics corridors of the trans-European transport network and will be an important part of the network of hydrogen refueling stations prescribed by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).”

Since the entire concept of the refueling station is geared towards climate protection and sustainability, only certified hydrogen from regenerative production will be refueled in Meckenheim.

Project "Zero Emission"

The Rhein-Sieg District (RSK) as the entity responsible for public transport and the RVK supports hydrogen mobility with the aim of making the transport and supply network future-oriented. This is emphasized by District Administrator Sebastian Schuster:

"In our '2025 Action Program for Climate Protection', it is noted, among other things, that climate protection in the companies with district participation should be strengthened. It was explicitly stated here that the traffic transition should be accelerated – among others, at our transport company on the left bank of the Rhine, the RVK, which we have obligated in the program to further advance the 'Zero Emission' project."

150-kW Charger

The public e-charging infrastructure is planned with at least two pillars and four charging points for the energy supply of cars with up to 150 kW, thus also supporting the future development of e-mobility at the site.

In addition to providing regeneratively produced hydrogen and electricity, the entire facility is designed to be environmentally friendly. The city of Meckenheim explicitly markets the site in Kottenforst under the ideas and guidelines on climate protection and sustainability.

Mayor Holger Jung explains: "The gas station completely aligns with our sustainability and climate protection-oriented concept for the business park. Furthermore, the hydrogen station offers great potential for companies to switch to hydrogen-powered vehicles in the future."

The entire design of the gas station was planned with the aspect of environmental and climate protection in mind. Minimally sealed, yet infiltration-suitable areas, plantings, and a green embankment are intended to integrate the gas station positively into the site. Where possible, low to zero-carbon building materials are used for the construction of the entire facility. A photovoltaic system is also integrated. It is planned to green parts of the facade and masonry. All open and green areas are to be designed for customers and staff with a high quality of stay.