Fleet of 20 hydrogen-fueled buses to hit streets of South Holland in 2021
A contract for the delivery of 20 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses was signed by representatives of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. and the operator Connexxion providing transport services for South Holland province. The vehicles are expected to be delivered in 2021. South Holland is the most populous province of The Netherlands, located in its western part, along the North Sea coast.
“Our roads are becoming busier and busier. The health of our passengers and residents is of utmost importance to us, therefore putting into service of vehicles ensuring cleaner air is a great step forward“, said Floor Vermeulen, regional minister for Traffic and Transport in South Holland province.
“More and more municipal operators and decision makers opt for modern and emission-free transport solutions for their regions. The advantages of hydrogen as an energy carrier are indisputable. We are honored to be able to participate with the operator Connexxion in these forward-looking decisions“, commented Petros Spinaris, Deputy CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A.
The vehicles will be operated by Connexxion, a branch of the Transdev Netherlands group which is one of the biggest operators and a leader in emission-free public transport in the Netherlands. As of the end of next year, Connexxion will utilize hydrogen buses in HoekseWaard and Goeree-Overflakkee regions.
The technologically advanced Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses use a set of fuel cells with a power of 70 kW. As for the hydrogen storing technology, the Urbino 12 features cutting-edge solutions. The hydrogen is stored in gaseous form in 5 new-generation tanks placed on the bus roof. The set of type 4 composite tanks, placed longitudinally above the first axle of the vehicle, has a total volume of 1,560 liters. The energy needed to power the bus is produced in the fuel cell that is supplied with hydrogen stored in roof-mounted tanks.
Refueling of hydrogen buses will be possible in Heinenoord, in the vicinity of the bus depot. As hydrogen is becoming an increasingly popular energy source, private passenger cars will also be allowed to use the infrastructure. The initiative aims at promoting the exploitation of the environmentally-friendly hydrogen to a full extent.
