Daimler Truck AG, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the international trade fair “Hydrogen Technology World Expo” in Hamburg on October 22, 2025. The partnership aims to explore the development of a reliable and cost-effective supply chain for green liquid hydrogen via the Port of Hamburg to the European hinterland.

Partnership Objectives and Structure

The collaboration is designed to enable the import of liquid hydrogen from hydrogen-producing countries to Germany, reinforcing Hamburg's role as a hub for sustainable energy logistics. Over the coming months, the partners will assess the logistical requirements for transshipment and onward transport by road and rail.

The initiative also seeks to attract additional companies and institutions to form a consortium that spans the entire hydrogen value chain. The partners bring complementary expertise to the collaboration: Kawasaki Heavy Industries as an experienced technology provider in the field of hydrogen infrastructure, HHLA as a European network logistics provider, and Daimler Truck as a global commercial vehicle manufacturer with a focus on CO2-neutral battery-electric and hydrogen-based drive systems.

Executive Statements on Strategic Importance

Dr. Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Management Daimler Truck and Head of Truck Technology, emphasized Europe's continued reliance on green energy imports. “Europe will continue to rely on green energy imports in the future, and hydrogen will play a key role here. The partnership is an important step in this direction, and we will need more initiatives like this to strengthen Europe's position as a leader in liquid hydrogen,” Gorbach stated.

He highlighted the unique capabilities of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, noting that it “can not only be powered by liquid green hydrogen – the truck can also transport it via road.” Gorbach added that hydrogen allows for increased speed of decarbonization and can reduce the scope and cost of the already slow expansion of the power grid.

Annette Walter, Chief Financial Officer of HHLA, described hydrogen as “one of the keys to a climate-neutral future” and emphasized HHLA's commitment to actively shaping this transformation. She noted that liquid hydrogen can be transported independently of pipelines, which she called “a decisive advantage for mobility, logistics, aviation, and especially for small and medium-sized companies.”

Kei Nomura, Executive General Manager of the Hydrogen Strategy Division at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, expressed the company's commitment to building technological foundations for a sustainable energy society. “We are very pleased to be working with HHLA and Daimler Truck to explore the feasibility of establishing an international supply chain for liquid hydrogen in Europe, starting with Hamburg,” Nomura said.

Company-Specific Capabilities and Strategies

Kawasaki Heavy Industries possesses proven technologies and experience in the production, storage, transportation, and reception of liquid hydrogen. The company is implementing innovative solutions aligned with Group Vision 2030, which defines three focal fields: "A Safe and Secure Remotely-Connected Society," "Near-Future Mobility", and "Energy and Environmental Solutions."

Kawasaki is working with government agencies and related companies in Japan and overseas to develop technology for establishing a hydrogen supply chain from production to transportation, storage, and usage. A key part of this strategy includes commissioning liquid hydrogen (LH2) carrier ships in different sizes with up to 160,000 m3 of liquid hydrogen on board, with future ships comparable to today's LNG carriers.

HHLA is aiming to become climate-neutral throughout the Group by 2040. As a European logistics group, the company is positioning itself in hydrogen import and distribution, leveraging its network extending from various seaports to the European hinterland. HHLA is also working on the use of fuel cells in handling equipment and heavy goods transport through its Clean Ports & Logistics cluster.

Daimler Truck's Hydrogen Vehicle Development

Daimler Truck is pursuing a dual-track strategy for transport decarbonization with both battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. Since 2021, the company has been developing and testing Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck prototypes equipped with fuel cells, demonstrating their reliability and performance for flexible, long-haul transport.

In 2023, a prototype GenH2 Truck showcased the potential of liquid hydrogen for road transport by completing a 1,047-kilometer trip across Germany on a single tank of liquid hydrogen under real-world conditions. The company has recently concluded initial customer trials, with a fleet of five GenH2 Trucks collectively covering more than 225,000 kilometers in actual operations.

Building on this success, a second phase of trials with the same fleet and different customers is planned for the upcoming year. Daimler Truck intends to produce a small series of 100 next-generation semitrailer tractors at its Mercedes-Benz plant in Woerth, Germany, with customer field operations scheduled to begin at the end of 2026.

The company aims to achieve large-scale industrialization of fuel cell technology and commence series production of hydrogen-powered trucks, initially targeting the European market, in the early 2030s. The signing of the MoU underscores the strategic importance of liquid hydrogen for the energy transition and the transformation of European industry.

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