Towards a fact-based energy transition in heavy transport

Researchers working in hydrogen projects at Oulu Business School have started field tests aimed at producing new knowledge on the energy transition in heavy logistics. The first test drives were carried out using OSAO’s heavy-duty vehicles in cooperation with Training Manager Hannu Tervo.

In the first phase of the field tests, electric and diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicles were compared. In the next phase, the tests will include a hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicle arriving at OSAO in the autumn. The results are awaited with great interest, as empirical scientific research on heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles in particular is still limited.

Research-based knowledge to support the green transition

The test drives are carried out as part of the VISIOK project, where Dr Timo Pohjosenperä serves as the lead researcher. According to him, the field tests play an important role in building a fact-based discussion on the green transition in heavy transport.

“The project offers a unique opportunity to test heavy-duty vehicles using different powertrains in driving conditions that are as close to real-life operations as possible. The numerical data produced in the tests provides an excellent reference point both for discussions between practical operators and for academic research otherwise carried out using qualitative methods,” says Dr Timo Pohjosenperä.

According to Project Researcher Emilia Juntunen, the newly launched tests are a central part of achieving the research objectives of the VISIOK project.

“The test drives carried out with electric and diesel trucks provide us with important comparative data and help us prepare for the tests to be conducted with a hydrogen truck. One of the key aims of the project is to examine how hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles operate in different transport tasks and in Finnish conditions. The test results will also be used in expert interviews carried out as part of the project,” says Project Researcher Emilia Juntunen.

Hydrogen projects complement each other

VISIOK works in close cooperation with other hydrogen projects at Oulu Business School, including the H2Go portfolio and UTAH2 projects. These projects are funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and they strengthen regional expertise in the use of hydrogen while supporting the green transition in heavy transport.

Together, the projects form a broader entity that studies and develops the use of hydrogen in transport, logistics and, more widely, as part of the future energy system.

“VISIOK and the related field tests are an important part of an overall effort that makes the use of hydrogen visible in people’s everyday lives,” says Professor Jouni Juntunen, the responsible leader of the H2Go portfolio and UTAH2 projects.

Through the H2Go portfolio, a mobile hydrogen refuelling station and hydrogen are being acquired for Oulu. These are intended to be used, for example, to refuel OSAO’s future hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicle. This also supports the continuation of the field tests and enables research data to be collected from a hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicle in a real operating environment.