Weser-Ems-Bus commissions refuelling station

A mobile station: a practical answer to a major operational challenge

As many local authorities transition their fleets to hydrogen mobility, synchronising the deployment schedules of vehicles, refuelling infrastructure and associated equipment can prove challenging. Mobile refuelling stations provide an immediately available solution to secure the start-up phase of hydrogen mobility projects.

Partners join forces to accelerate the deployment of a hydrogen bus fleet

In December 2025, Weser-Ems-Bus, a subsidiary of DB Regio AG, deployed six fuel cell buses to provide regular public transport services from Jever in the East Frisia region of Lower Saxony. The project was developed in close collaboration with the Friesland district, the authority responsible for public transport.

Pending completion of the permanent hydrogen refuelling station, Weser-Ems-Bus quickly established a partnership with the independent research institute Technologie-Transfer-Zentrum Bremerhaven (ttz Bremerhaven), station operator MoviaTec and green hydrogen producer and supplier Lhyfe.

• ttz Bremerhaven provided its own mobile refuelling station and is carrying out scientific monitoring of the buses’ deployment, allowing the institute to collect valuable operational data and insights on the performance of hydrogen buses in daily service.
• MoviaTec operates the entire refuelling station at the Jever site and ensures safe and reliable operation in line with applicable safety requirements. Its role includes preparing the explosion protection documentation, coordinating regular visual inspections and operational checks, and supporting commissioning as well as the resolution of technical challenges during operation.
• Lhyfe supplies RFNBO[1]-certified and green hydrogen, meeting the highest sustainability requirements currently defined by the European Union. With four RFNBO-certified green hydrogen production sites, a fleet of more than 80 Type IV hydrogen containers – one of the largest and most modern bulk hydrogen transport fleets in Europe – and around fifteen storage locations, Lhyfe is one of Europe’s pioneering producers and suppliers of green hydrogen.

This solution enabled Weser-Ems-Bus to immediately launch its fleet in December 2025, and to ensure a continuous supply of green hydrogen in line with its sustainability commitments.

Faster-than-expected refuelling: a practical and replicable solution The mobile refuelling station operates at 350 bar, the pressure level commonly used for hydrogen-powered buses and commercial vehicles.

Before the station came on line, several refuelling scenarios were modelled based on the anticipated hydrogen demand of the buses. These assumptions are now being validated under real operating conditions. Actual refuelling operations have shown that buses can be refuelled more quickly than anticipated in the original simulations. As a result, the station has met — and in some cases exceeded — the expectations of the project partners.

This project demonstrates that vehicle deployment and infrastructure commissioning do not necessarily need to follow the same timeline, offering a practical solution to accelerate the transition to zero-emission public transport.

The next steps will focus on further optimising refuelling operations and analysing vehicle consumption data until the permanent station in Schortens, within the JadeWeserPark industrial area, enters service later in 2026.

Daniel Marx, Managing Director, Weser-Ems-Bus, a subsidiary of DB Regio AG, said: “We are actively shaping the future of mobility and take our responsibility for climate protection seriously. With the help of funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport, around 10% of DB Regio Bus Nord's fleet runs emissions-free, mostly on battery-electric. In close cooperation with the Friesland district, we were able to test the use case of hydrogen mobility and gained important experience for the future.”

Günther Schumacher, Project manager at ttz Bremerhaven, added: “From our previous projects, we are familiar with the challenges involved in introducing hydrogen buses. By analysing the routes and the needs of the bus operator, we were able to develop suitable scenarios for on-demand refuelling of the hydrogen buses introduced in Jever and to implement our hydrogen refuelling system there. Under everyday operating conditions, the refuelling station worked very well and has even exceeded expectations.”

Frank Rößler, Managing Director of MoviaTec GmbH, commented: “This project demonstrates that hydrogen mobility can be implemented quickly and reliably when infrastructure, supply and operation are closely coordinated. As operator of the mobile refuelling station, MoviaTec ensures safe day-to-day operation and supports the project with its practical experience in hydrogen infrastructure, commissioning and technical operations.”

Pascal Louvet, Sales Director Germany at Lhyf, stated: “Across Europe, we are seeing increasing maturity within hydrogen mobility ecosystems and a strong determination to accelerate deployment. The technologies are available, initial use cases are proving successful, and local stakeholders are progressively organising around operational projects. The challenge today is to enable these projects to move forward quickly through efficient solutions adapted to real-world conditions. Mobile refuelling stations really hit this nail on the head.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/02072026/weser-ems-bus-commissions-refuelling-station/