H2News: Mr. Kurras, how was Maximator Hydrogen founded?
Mathias Kurras: We started as a business unit within Maximator GmbH in 2019—that was the seed of our company. Within the unit, we scaled the business for hydrogen refueling stations after our co-founder René Himmelstein managed to recruit several experts from a competitor. This team comprised the top specialists in hydrogen refueling technology at the time—they alone had designed around 75% of all H2 stations! With these engineers, we developed the first prototype of our compressor. The interest from our customers showed us that hydrogen would become a major topic.
H2News: At that point, you were still part of Maximator GmbH.
Kurras: Correct. Like many success stories, our beginnings had a “garage” character: we assembled the first compressors in a very small hall. I became the team’s managing director in 2020. Things became more operational when we spun off under the name Maximator Hydrogen and moved to our new location in Nordhausen. By that time, we already had about 90 employees, several completed projects, and full order books.
H2News: Where do you stand today?
Kurras: We now have 246 colleagues in Nordhausen. The rapid growth of recent years came with challenges, but we’ve been able to optimize numerous processes. We’ve roughly doubled the number of refueling stations delivered each year—and with it, our revenue. This year, we are targeting €80 million.
H2News: Do you focus on operating refueling stations or manufacturing the refueling technology?
Kurras: Technology is our main business. However, an equally important service business is attached to it because only good service can guarantee high availability. We don’t operate stations ourselves but offer largely autonomous technology that we centrally monitor. We call this concept first-level support.
H2News: Can you elaborate on that?
Kurras: Many station operators still have little experience with hydrogen technology. Therefore, the stations should essentially operate themselves, and we need to ensure their availability. If they are unavailable—due to hydrogen shortages or maintenance needs, for instance—drivers must be informed immediately so they can go to another station. This is crucial in this early market phase.
H2News: What availability can you guarantee?
Kurras: Currently, we’re at about 98%. This shows that our focus is right: station operators don’t have much to worry about with our equipment since we maintain and manage them remotely. This allows them to concentrate on their core business while we ensure the operation of the pumps.
H2News: Can you further optimize this business model?
Kurras: We’re developing additional services to make operating an H2 station and its equipment as easy as possible. We’re also pushing the digitalization of our systems, for instance, by providing data that allows logistics companies to better plan their H2 truck routes. Our primary focus, however, remains on the technology. We aim to make our systems even more robust and to scale them, thereby reducing costs.
H2News: How many refueling stations already use your compressors?
Kurras: Overall, we have over 50 compressor systems in operation. However, not all of them are used for refueling stations; some are used for trailer filling stations or industrial processes.
H2News: So, you’re the control center from which these 50 systems are monitored and managed in real-time?
Kurras: Exactly. I often say, “The stations talk to us.” We’re notified when refueling occurs, when compressor operations start, or when a fault arises. In our Remote Operation Center, colleagues monitor these messages on digital maps showing all our stations. Depending on their status, they’re displayed in green, yellow, or red. The maps also show the available hydrogen volume and current utilization. This digital infrastructure allows us to quickly respond to faults, identify sources of error, and further optimize systems.
H2News: How often do stations on your display turn “yellow” or “red” due to insufficient hydrogen?
Kurras: We haven’t quantified it yet, but stations can occasionally run “dry.” Causes include supplier outages or high electricity prices making hydrogen production uneconomical. However, this problem is becoming rarer as the supply situation diversifies.
H2News: What does that mean?
Kurras: It means there are more and more electrolyzers producing independently of grid electricity. This reduces production interruptions caused by electricity price fluctuations. We’re seeing local hydrogen ecosystems function better: when one supplier fails, smaller producers can increasingly step in.
H2News: So, the H2 community is helping each other out?
Kurras: Exactly. While it’s still relatively small, the community has grown significantly since we started. We act as a kind of link within the industry: our customers include both station operators and H2 producers who use our compressors to fill their trailer systems. This enables us to connect parties when there’s a hydrogen shortage. For instance, one of our stations in southern Germany recently ran out of hydrogen and contacted us. We connected them with a customer in Switzerland, and now the station receives its hydrogen supply from there.
H2News: Is each station’s supply chain organized differently?
Kurras: There are significant regional differences in Germany. Sometimes trailers stay on-site, sometimes they are removed again. Sometimes hydrogen is stored on-site, and sometimes it’s not. There’s also a wide range of pressures, from 200 to 425 bar—not to mention the varying connection types between trailers and pumps. There is a degree of standardization between the pump and the vehicle tank, but many differences still exist between the trailer and the pump.
H2News: Are there stations where hydrogen is produced on-site?
Kurras: Yes. One of our early projects in Wuppertal is an example of this. We operate a station there that’s supplied directly by an electrolyzer powered by electricity from a local waste-to-energy plant. Up to 20 hydrogen buses refuel there daily, and this has been running successfully for years! We’re seeing increasing interest in such projects.
H2News: Do you have other flagship projects you’d like to highlight?
Kurras: One is located at the Geirangerfjord in Norway. It’s beautifully situated and integrates production and application in a small area. We’ve also established similar infrastructure in Vienna with FEST GmbH, which produces electrolyzers and is part of the Schmidt-Kranz Group. There, our station serves all types of vehicles: trucks, buses, garbage trucks, passenger cars, and more. IKEA even operates a fleet of H2 transporters in Vienna that refuel at our station.
H2News: With transporters, you’re addressing a segment where hydrogen is becoming increasingly relevant: light commercial vehicles. How does it compare to e-mobility?
Kurras: Hydrogen has several advantages, particularly rapid refueling. Electrically charging a fleet of 100 delivery vehicles isn’t impossible, but it’s a challenge since these vehicles are typically in constant use, require quick charging, and consume a lot of electricity.
H2News: How do you see hydrogen mobility developing?
Kurras: I’d say it’s on the right track. Some investors feel it’s not moving fast enough, and balancing infrastructure expansion, available vehicles, and the supply of green hydrogen is certainly a challenge. However, we continue to see commitments from major manufacturers—recently, BMW and Toyota announced the first H2 series car by 2028.
H2News: The passenger car segment isn’t expected to grow significantly first, though.
Kurras: No, we expect growth primarily in the commercial vehicle sector. Hydrogen excels for heavily used vehicles that transport large loads over long distances. Accordingly, all major truck manufacturers are developing hydrogen models, whether fuel-cell-based or combustion engines. The same applies to key OEMs. This is encouraging because heavy-duty mobility offers the greatest decarbonization potential and can expand hydrogen infrastructure, so to speak, on the “back of H2 trucks.”
H2News: Why should fleet operators switch from diesel to hydrogen?
Kurras: Many logistics companies have adopted net-zero strategies and want to operate their fleets emission-free. This makes them attractive to companies with so-called Scope 3 goals, which involve decarbonizing not just their own production but also their suppliers and logistics chains. There are only two options for this: electric or hydrogen mobility.
H2News: What’s your view on support mechanisms like the GHG quota system?
Kurras: They’re exactly the right approach. We’ve transitioned from a phase of individual project investments with state subsidies to one where operating costs are supported. While project funding helped with product design, it didn’t aid scaling. For scaling, it’s better if subsidies reduce operating costs. The GHG quota system is ideal for balancing hydrogen supply and demand, making our business model economically viable. Tax relief for emission-free vehicles also helps much more in the long run than short-term grants.
H2News: How is hydrogen perceived in Thuringia? Do you encounter skepticism?
Kurras: We’re striving to make Nordhausen a model hydrogen region—despite any resistance, if there even is any. We have great potential for solar and wind energy, a university specializing in renewable energy, and a growing number of companies in the H2 and renewable energy sectors. We aim to bring them all together, seizing an opportunity we shouldn’t let slip.
For more information, visit:
www.maximator-hydrogen.de
