German public transport operator RVK is moving into green hydrogen production, with construction starting on a new electrolyser and hydrogen refuelling station in Mechernich. The project is designed primarily to supply RVK’s hydrogen bus fleet while also making hydrogen available to cars and trucks in the region.
A symbolic groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction at the site of RVK’s planned Training and Further Education Centre for Climate-Neutral and Digital Mobility (AWM).
The electrolyser will be capable of producing 36 kilograms of green hydrogen per hour, equivalent to slightly more than two hydrogen bus refuellings. According to RVK, all electricity used for hydrogen production will come exclusively from renewable sources.
Green hydrogen for buses, trucks and cars
The new refuelling station will primarily serve RVK’s own hydrogen-powered buses but will also be open to the public. Two dispensers will be dedicated to buses, while an additional dispenser will allow passenger cars and trucks to refuel.
RVK also plans to utilise waste heat generated during hydrogen production. The recovered heat will be used to supply buildings at the future AWM site, improving the overall use of energy from the facility.
The German Federal Ministry has approved approximately €15.1 million in funding for construction of the electrolyser and hydrogen refuelling station.
For RVK, producing hydrogen directly represents an opportunity to gain greater control over fuel supply for its hydrogen bus operations.
“By producing green hydrogen ourselves, RVK is securing the supply for its hydrogen bus fleet. This will make us independent of market developments,” said Dr Marcel Frank, Managing Director of RVK. He added that making the station publicly accessible will extend the use of zero-emission mobility beyond RVK’s own operations.
Commissioning planned for late 2026
The Mechernich hydrogen facility is scheduled to enter operation by the end of 2026. RVK is simultaneously developing another green hydrogen production facility at the Grüner Mobilhof in Bergisch Gladbach.
The wider AWM development remains in the planning stage. It is expected to include an academy, a driver training area and a competence centre, with construction scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
The Mechernich project gives RVK a more vertically integrated approach to hydrogen mobility, combining local renewable hydrogen production with refuelling infrastructure and direct use in its own bus fleet, while also creating hydrogen infrastructure that can be used by other road transport operators.