The Netherlands orders ten hydrogen-powered buses

Dutch bus operator Arriva will add ten hydrogen-powered Solaris Urbino 12 buses to its fleet later this year. Arriva will operate them in the Achterhoek region and in the cities of Zutphen and Apeldoorn from December 2021.

Arriva plans to replace some of the existing diesel buses with hydrogen-powered buses in the Achterhoek region, which is participating in the European JIVE2 project  (Joint Initiative for hydrogen Vehicles across Europe).

The buses are expected to cover more than one million kilometres per year.  Each vehicle measures 12 metres, has 37 seats and can carry 85 passengers. The buses are equipped with USB charging points, air conditioning and modern passenger information systems. They have CCTV, ramps for wheelchair users and a dedicated space on board.

The vehicles were designed and manufactured by Solaris - a clean transport provider.  They are powered by hydrogen stored in onboard tanks with a capacity of 1,500 litres.  Electricity is generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell. The only emissions are heat and water.

Liz Benison, Managing Director of Arriva for Europe, said, “This is an exciting development for Arriva with Hydrogen technology now reaching a level of maturity that allows it to become part of our fleet strategy in European markets that support its introduction. Our journey to net-zero continues, helping to reduce pollution and provide sustainable ways of keeping communities connected”.

Source: Sustainable Bus, Intelligent Transport