Advancing hydrogen adoption in Belgium with Fujitsu’s digital twin technology

October 22, 2026

Verifying operational efficiency and economic viability with digital twin technology for lower-emission logistics

A delivery truck is parked at the hydrogen station.

Fujitsu developed and validated a digital twin-based simulation technology that enables data-driven evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell truck operations and logistics efficiency. By integrating vehicle characteristics, operational data, route conditions, and hydrogen infrastructure information into a unified virtual environment, the technology allows stakeholders to analyze transportation scenarios and optimize fleet operations before real-world deployment.

Fujitsu collaborated with Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME), Toyota’s European headquarters responsible for its business operations, innovation and mobility activities in Europe, Virya Energy NV/SA, a Belgian renewable energy producer and developer, active in renewable hydrogen production and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and WaterstofNet VZW, an industry association promoting the development of the hydrogen industry in Belgium and the BENELUX, in a proof-of-concept (PoC) simulating logistics operations on the Flanders road network from January to October 2026. The simulation was used to evaluate the performance and operational efficiency of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in land logistics operations, demonstrating how digital twin technology can support the design and optimization of future hydrogen logistics ecosystems.

Background

The transportation industry faces the challenge of reducing its reliance on diesel vehicles and transitioning to alternative powertrains, including battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric, as part of broader efforts to address climate change. Traditional TCO-models are focused on financial aspects such as fuel price, insurance, maintenance, and cost, but often lack the operational and infrastructure constraints. With classic TCO-models, a comparison is usually made between 1 x diesel truck vs 1 x battery electric vehicle (BEV) / hydrogen fuel cell trucks. However, transport operators should actually look at their complete fleet in order to arrive at a complete picture. To support these decisions, transport operators, policymakers and hydrogen station operators need verified operational data. Against this backdrop, the four companies embarked on a multifaceted simulation experiment concerning the use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks, considering not only fuel costs but also optimal transportation routes and hydrogen station locations.

Digital twin technology - GAMBIT (Generative Agent-based Modelling and Behavioral Inference in Transport)

The GAMBIT simulation technology combines generative AI trained on real-world driving data with large-scale traffic simulation to recreate how individual vehicles behave across an entire transport network. Unlike conventional approaches that rely on predefined driving equations and extensive local calibration, GAMBIT learns directly from observed data how different vehicle types move on different roads and at different times, while still enforcing the traffic and operational rules of the real world. This reduces the need for costly manual calibration and, through its population-scale architecture, is designed to scale efficiently to much larger fleets without sacrificing individual-vehicle detail. The result is a new way to test complex, costly decisions—from hydrogen and electric charging infrastructure to freight operations and changes to the road network—at city scale before they are implemented in the real world.

The figure shows the driving routes and refueling and charging patterns for diesel vehicles, battery-electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Belgium, as simulated.

The figure shows the simulated routes and refueling or charging patterns of diesel, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks across the Belgian logistics network.

Overview of the simulation experiment

This simulation experiment was conducted with the aim of providing WaterstofNet, Virya Energy and Toyota Motor Europe with the opportunity to analyze different scenarios of decarbonizing the fleet to optimize the technology choice of each transport application. Fujitsu's digital twin technology was used to model the road network and infrastructure in the Flanders region of Belgium, including traffic dynamics [footnote 1], speed limits, and refueling infrastructure such as diesel fuel pumps, hydrogen refueling stations, and electric vehicle charging stations. The simulation scope comprised logistics operations, including multi-stage deliveries from ports to warehouses and retail stores, for three types of vehicles: hydrogen fuel cell trucks, electric trucks, and diesel trucks.

Period: January 6, 2026, to October 16, 2026
Target models:
- Various roads, elevations/gradients, intersections, speed limits, one-way regulations, heavy vehicle restrictions, and refueling infrastructure in the Flanders region of Belgium.
- Total road network length: 5101 km
- Total number of simulated vehicles: 39
- Logistics centers: 2 locations
Results of the experiment:
- Demonstrated value of data-driven simulation for infrastructure and fleet planning decisions: The simulation framework provides transport operators, infrastructure developers, and policymakers with detailed operational insights that traditional models may not capture. By modeling real-world constraints including infrastructure availability, traffic dynamics, and refueling patterns, the framework enables stakeholders to evaluate fleet transition strategies based on simulated operational performance under real-world constraints, rather than on cost assumptions alone. This data-driven approach supports evidence-based decisions for vehicle introduction plans and infrastructure deployment priorities.
- Operational viability and cost competitiveness pathway for hydrogen fuel cell trucks: In the simulation, hydrogen fuel cell trucks completed the same delivery schedules as diesel trucks, allowing fleet operators to maintain existing operations without restructuring or fleet expansion. Furthermore, while fuel costs for hydrogen operations were higher than diesel at current prices, cost competitiveness could be reached if hydrogen prices fell below target thresholds. In the simulation, hydrogen fuel cell trucks produced no tailpipe CO₂, NOx or particulate matter emissions while driving [footnote 2].
- Assessed the potential to identify routes suited to hydrogen fuel cell truck deployment.
  The analysis used road conditions and driving patterns to identify routes where hydrogen fuel cell trucks may offer operational advantages under the modelled conditions, such as range, refueling time and vehicle availability. The results suggest that prioritizing hydrogen fuel cell truck deployment on routes where these advantages are most relevant could support a more targeted transition strategy than applying a uniform fleet conversion approach. Partner analysis further helped validate the route-screening approach for identifying use cases where hydrogen fuel cell trucks may be suitable.

Future Plans

Using the valuable insights derived from this simulation and Fujitsu’s digital twin technology, Fujitsu will continue to support data-driven hydrogen logistics planning across the transportation and energy sectors in Europe. The simulation findings will be showcased at EU Hydrogen Week held at Brussels Expo, Belgium between October 26th – 30th, 2026
Moving forward, Fujitsu will strengthen its collaboration with transportation operators, infrastructure providers, and vehicle manufacturers to accelerate data-driven hydrogen utilization in commercial logistics, based on the knowledge and results gained from this simulation experiment. While continuing its efforts in Belgium, Fujitsu aims to expand its initiatives to the entire Benelux region and beyond, contributing to lower-emission commercial logistics in the Benelux region.

Note

traffic dynamics:
Fluctuations in actual traffic conditions affect vehicle operations, such as traffic congestion, variations in speed, repeated starts and stops, and changes in traffic flow based on time of day, road type, and route. These factors directly impact fuel consumption, travel time, and vehicle operational efficiency.

Emissions:
Emissions can still occur across the lifecycle, including resource extraction, manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, end-of-life treatment, and energy production. Some emissions also arise during use, such as particulate emissions from tyre and brake wear. In addition, the hydrogen used to generate electricity may be associated with CO₂ emissions, depending on how it is produced.