HyCoolEst

The challenge
Hydrogen refuelling for heavy-duty vehicles depends on a pre-cooling stage that represents around 10% of a station's cost, the market is served entirely by imported equipment calibrated for colder climates. In southern Europe, where ambient temperatures exceed 40°C, this mismatch is decisive: without adequate pre-cooling, refuelling times for trucks and buses at 350 bar become impractical, threatening vehicle duty cycles and fleet-decarbonisation plans. Most commercial units also still rely on fluorinated refrigerants facing upcoming EU restrictions, adding a second, unresolved barrier to first-mover HRS operators.

Scope
HyCoolEst takes a two-stage hydrogen pre-cooling developed by SFICE, using natural refrigerants and already demonstrated at TRL6 on a dedicated test bench with real H2 at 350 bar, out of the laboratory and into TRL 8. Over 12 months (2027) the project will close the regulatory conformity file (Pressure Equipment Directive, ATEX, Machinery Regulation),  and define the production version ( reduced footprint, rationalised bill of materials, installation engineering) closing with a qualified, industrialisable product ready for first sale.