World premiere for AVIA: First hydrogen filling station opens in St. Gallen

07. Juli 2020

World premiere for AVIA: First hydrogen filling station opens in St. Gallen

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Maximator supplies hydrogen filling station for AVIA in St. Gallen

With the commissioning of the first hydrogen filling station, AVIA is taking an important step towards sustainable mobility. The compression and refueling technology come from Maximator GmbH in Nordhausen, Germany. “We are very grateful and of course also proud that AVIA chose Maximator as the system supplier. With this project we have successfully completed a first milestone in our cooperation and are looking very positively at the implementation of further projects with AVIA this and next year.”, René Himmelstein, Vice President Sales & Marketing Maximator GmbH.

(left to right): Bertrand Piccard (Swiss pioneer of E-Mobility), René Himmelstein (Vice President Maximator GmbH), Dr. Philipp Dietrich (CEO H2 Energy AG), Hansjörg Vock (Vice President H2 Energy AG), Rolf Huber (Chairman H2 Energy AG), Markus Stephan (Authorized officer Maximator Advanced Technology), Gerrit Leckel (Project manager Maximator GmbH)
pic.: ©Maximator GmbH

Modular hydrogen technology from Maximator

Maximator GmbH already supplied gas compressors and valve technology for the first hydrogen filling station in Germany in 2006. Due to the high demand and general interest in the use of hydrogen as an energy source for sustainable mobility, Maximator decided in 2017 to reposition the hydrogen business unit. Maximator Advanced Technology GmbH (MAT) was founded in Vienna under the direction of Robert Adler. The MAT is responsible for the development of our hydrogen filling stations in line with the market, consisting of the MAX Compression compressor module, the MAX Power drive module and other modules. In 2018 Maximator GmbH presented the first generation of this ground-breaking technology and in the following year the first major project was realized, a refueling system for 10 hydrogen buses for the Stadtwerke Wuppertal. The plant technology is produced in Nordhausen.

In addition to the MAT, Maximator Gas Solution GmbH was founded in the same year. Maximator Gas Solution specializes in the necessary hydrogen storage technology. René Himmelstein: “Our experience has shown that technical solutions can only be successful on the market if you have the opportunity to bundle know-how and react flexibly to market requirements. So, in addition to compressor technology, it is only logical to be able to offer storage technology from a single source.” In order to meet increasing demand, the first series production for hydrogen filling stations in Germany is currently being set up in Nordhausen. The service area is also geared towards the hydrogen business. In 2017, Maximator Hydrogen Inc. was founded in San Francisco, California to control the service for the Maximator hydrogen plants in California on site.

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Maximator - Expertise in hydrogen for over 20 years

Maximator is one of the leading companies that offers high pressure and test technology up to 25,000 bar. The standard air powered Maximator gas compressors have been used in hydrogen applications for over 20 years. Hydrogen technology has been a key focus of the company since 2007.

Maximator employs 700 people worldwide. The headquarters are in Nordhausen and include engineering and manufacturing. The entire product portfolio is manufactured in the Nordhausen plant to ensure that production is carried out using the latest technology and corresponding quality processes. There are also branches in Shanghai, China and the USA. The branches are responsible for the commissioning and field service of the plants located in these areas.

As the demand for hydrogen refueling systems increases, Maximator plans to expand production to these locations. To meet the growing hydrogen business, Maximator Gas Solutions GmbH and the joint venture between Maximator & Testnet GmbH were also founded. Maximator Gas Solutions focuses on the development of storage systems and the required regulatory approvals. The joint venture with Testnet focuses on life cycle tests for hydrogen storage systems.