Towards zero emission public transport with fuel cell buses
About the Event
Join us for free at the Final Conference of the High V.LO-City project, in Groningen, Netherlands, on the 27th of November from 10:00 to 17:30. This event will be a chance for participants to hear the results and lessons learned directly from the project partners. Participants will also have opportunities to network and engage in discussions throughout the day and during the networking cocktail. The event will take place at the Van der Valk Hotel located at Borchsingel 53, 9766PP Eelderwolde, in Hoogkerk, Groningen. For further information about the route to the hotel, go to: https://www.vandervalkhotelgroningenhoogkerk.com/en/contact#route
To register for the event, click here.
Background Information
The High V.LO-City project, coordinated by the bus manufacturer Van Hool, started in 2012 and will run until the end of December 2019. During the course of the project, 14 buses have been operated in 4 locations: Aberdeen, Scotland (4 buses), Antwerp, Belgium (5 buses), San Remo, Italy (3 buses) and Groningen, Netherlands (2 buses). The 14 fuel cell hydrogen buses have been used as like-to-like replacement of conventional diesel buses and trolley buses. The key project objectives were to increase the energy efficiency of the buses and reduce the cost of ownership, as well as to demonstrate an operational availability of the buses equivalent to diesel (over 90%). Another objective of the project was to contribute to the commercialisation of fuel cell electric buses in Europe.
Since the start of the project, more than 900.000km have already been travelled by the buses, saving more than 907t of CO2. The daily operation is proving that fuel cell electric buses can be put in operation with the same level of efficiency and flexibility as diesel buses. Different methods of hydrogen production are tested and the overall availability of the buses is expected to continue to increase as experience is accumulated by the project partners.
The final conference will discuss the results and lessons learned from the projects, as well as provide an outlook to future developments in the fuel cell buses sector in Europe.
For more information about the project please visit the project website: http://highvlocity.eu/
Agenda
08H30 – 10H30 Site visit – hydrogen refuelling station (optional)
10H30 Registration and coffee
11:00 SESSION 1: Policy landscape
- Introduction, Moderator
- Welcome and local background, Fleur Gräper-van Koolwijk, Province of Groningen
- Opening address, Lionel Boillot, Project Officer, FCH-JU
- Vision for a clean public transport system by QBuzz, Gerrit Spijksma, CEO
12:00 SESSION 2: High V.LO-City: project and results
- High V.LO-City: project and results, Geert Van Hecke, Head of Sales Public Transport, Van Hool
- Panel discussion: results of the project and lessons learned,
- Erik Spitaels, Expert Rolling Stock, De Lijn
- Sandro Corrado, Director, Riviera Transporti
- Davide Pederzoli, DITEN, University of Genova
- Michel van der Mark, Director of Market Development, QBuzz
- Q&A with audience – operation of the buses
13h20 Lunch break
14:30 SESSION 3: Business case and next steps
- Business case for fuel cell buses and joint procurement opportunities, Sophie Enyon, Consultant and Project Manager, Element Energy
- Panel discussion: next steps and scaling up of fleets, PTAs and PTOs, also from outside the project
- Frank Koch, Manager Fuel cells & Electromobility, Energieagentur NRW
- Erwin Stoker, Team Leader Public Transport Development, OV Bureau Groningen Drenthe
15h20 Coffee break
- Scaling up: What is available on the market? Short pitches from manufacturers
- Kristina Fløche Juelsgaard, Business Development, Ballard
- Kohei Umeno, Chief Liaison Officer, Caetano Bus
- Mark Kammerer, Business Development Manager, Hydrogenics
- Oskar Voorsmit, Business Development Manager Hydrogen, PitPoint
- The bigger picture: Hydrogen buses as part of a hydrogen economy. Example of the Northern Netherlands, Patrick Cnubben, New Energy Coalition
17:15 Conclusion remarks
17:30 Networking cocktail
Moderation / introduction / conclusion remarks: HyER
Session I: The first session of the day will discuss the policy background of the project at local and European level. A particular focus will be the city and province of Groningen, which have passed ambitious legislation aiming to reduce emissions from transport.
Session II: This session will present the project results and lessons learned from the High V.LO-City project. Participants will be able to directly exchange with project partners (public transport authorities and bus operators). A panel will discuss the daily operation and maintenance of fuel cell buses and their associated hydrogen production and refuelling infrastructure.
Session III: In the afternoon, a second panel will discuss the scaling up of existing fleets and the deployment of large fleets of fuel cell buses in Europe over the next few years. Opportunities for future joint procurement and the business cases related to fuel cell buses will be discussed and a number of manufacturers (buses, fuel cells and refuelling stations) will present their plans for the future. The integration of fuel cell buses into larger hydrogen economies will also be discussed through the example of the Northern Netherlands.
The conference will be followed by a networking cocktail.
To register for the event, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/high-vlo-city-final-conference-registrati...
The High V.LO-City project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme under Grant Agreements n°278192.
