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Freiburg to Produce Green Hydrogen for Waste Trucks at Former Landfill

City leaders cast the €30 million scheme as a nationwide pilot for fuel‑cell waste collection.

Overview

  • The city will expand a photovoltaic array and add an electrolysis plant on the former landfill to produce fuel on-site, with initial output planned next year and full self-supply not before early 2026; vehicles already refuel at the location.
  • Twenty-two fuel‑cell refuse trucks now handle municipal waste streams, operating quietly with no tailpipe CO2 emissions.
  • Mayor Martin Horn says Freiburg is the first German city where the entire waste‑collection fleet runs on fuel cells.
  • Total investment is about €30 million including federal grants, following a 2020/21 decision made under then-maximum subsidy levels.
  • ASF uses battery‑electric vehicles for street cleaning while deploying hydrogen trucks for collection, and regional utility Badenova calls the project a showcase for green hydrogen.