State invests 190 million in hydrogen refuelling network as only four trucks operate on the fuel

Sweden’s state-backed climate fund will channel 190 million kronor into a new network of hydrogen refuelling stations, but only four Swedish-registered hydrogen trucks are currently in service.

The infrastructure push, led by the hydrogen chain operator Hydri and its parent company Qarlbo Energy, aims to enable zero-emission heavy transport. The first ten stations will open in southern Sweden, with expansion planned northward. “Infrastructure has to come first,” said Michel Thomas, chairman of Hydri and chief executive of Qarlbo Energy. “You don’t sell many refrigerators before the electricity grid is in place.”

The funding comes from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Klimatklivet programme, which has provided 120 million kronor, while the Swedish Energy Agency contributes the remaining 70 million. Sweden’s environmental regulator has meanwhile paused further grants to hydrogen stations until other parts of the hydrogen value chain catch up.

Industry figures acknowledge that operating costs remain higher for hydrogen trucks than for diesel. “We need to close the initial price gap to get volumes moving,” Thomas said. Scania, which supplies two of the four active trucks, said it is still assessing the technology’s long-term economic and technical viability. “We want to learn whether this has a sustainable future,” said Tony Sandberg, Scania’s head of commercial testing.

Hydri’s owners include EQT founder Conni Jonsson and the Wallenberg family’s investment vehicle FAM AB. Thomas estimates that once the market matures, Sweden could host between 10,000 and 20,000 hydrogen trucks.