Gruber Logistics tests hydrogen truck in cargo operations at Milan Malpensa Airport
Gruber Logistics has used a hydrogen fuel-cell truck for deliveries at Milan Malpensa Airport's Cargo City. The trial, involving cargo handlers BCUBE AIR CARGO and ALHA with support from SEA and Edison, connects the European ZEFES heavy-duty transport project with hydrogen initiatives currently being developed at the airport.
Gruber Logistics has deployed a hydrogen fuel-cell truck for cargo deliveries at Milan Malpensa Airport, in northern Italy. The operation involved airport cargo handlers BCUBE AIR CARGO and ALHA, with the support of airport operator SEA Aeroporti di Milano and energy company Edison.
Before completing the deliveries, the vehicle stopped at Pass4Core, the secure truck parking facility within Malpensa Cargo City. According to the companies involved, the operation was integrated into the airport’s normal logistics processes, including the Smart City digital flows used to manage shipments and deliveries.
From long-haul transport to airport logistics
The trial provided an opportunity to operate the fuel-cell truck in an environment where vehicle access, delivery schedules and coordination between different operators have to be integrated into everyday airport activities.
Gruber Logistics is involved together with Scania in the European ZEFES project, which focuses on zero-emission platforms for heavy-duty transport. As part of the project, the logistics company is testing a fuel-cell vehicle for long-haul operations under real-world conditions.
The Malpensa deliveries extend this experience to airport logistics, linking road freight operations with a location where hydrogen production and refuelling projects are also being developed.
Edison plans green hydrogen production and refuelling at Malpensa
Edison is developing a project for a green hydrogen production and distribution hub at Malpensa, close to the airport’s Truck SafePark. The objective is to produce hydrogen locally and use it to refuel vehicles operating at the airport.
Crucially, however, the infrastructure is not yet operational. The Gruber Logistics deliveries should therefore be considered a trial ahead of a possible broader deployment of hydrogen-powered vehicles at the airport.
The initiative is also connected with OLGA, a Horizon 2020-funded European project focused on airport decarbonisation. SEA is participating through activities related to energy and the development of solutions for the production, refuelling and use of hydrogen at Malpensa.
