The Introduction of Hydrogen-powered Drones Offers the Logistics Industry a Significant Opportunity to Reduce the Number of Distribution Centers

 Different applications have varying requirements regarding drone endurance, which directly impacts the assessment of their benefits. According to conservative industry estimates, hydrogen-powered drones can fly more than three times the distance of lithium battery-powered drones when transporting the same cargo. Assuming a range of 6 kilometers with lithium batteries, switching to hydrogen power would increase the range to 18 kilometers, effectively expanding the coverage area to nine times the original. Within this 18-kilometer radius, lithium battery-powered drones—limited by endurance, requiring 6 to 8 distribution centers, each equipped with drone takeoff and landing infrastructure and battery recharging capabilities.

 In contrast, hydrogen-powered drones need only one distribution center equipped with a hydrogen refueling station to cover the entire area, significantly reducing the costs of establishing distribution centers and manpower. This demonstrates that transitioning from lithium batteries to hydrogen fuel cells should not be evaluated solely based on drone costs; the number and operation of distribution centers must also be considered. Overall, the benefits of hydrogen energy far exceed those of lithium batteries.

If winged drones are used, the flight distance increases even further, amplifying the advantages of hydrogen energy. Assuming the original flight distance with lithium batteries is 80 kilometers, switching to hydrogen power would extend it to 240 kilometers. Within this 240-kilometer radius, lithium battery drones would require approximately 20 distribution centers, whereas hydrogen-powered drones would need only 1 to 2. This analysis assumes that hydrogen-powered drones can fly three times the distance of lithium battery drones, which is a conservative estimate. In reality, ongoing industry research and development are improving hydrogen energy efficiency, meaning the actual advantage over lithium battery drones will likely exceed these figures.