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 The Clean Hydrogen in European Cities Project (CHIC), is the essential next step leading to the full market commercialization of Fuel Cell Hydrogen powered (FCH) buses.
The project involves integrating 26 FCH buses in daily public transport operations and bus routes in five locations across Europe – Aargau (Switzerland), Bolzano/Bozen (Italy), London (GB), Milan (Italy), and Oslo (Norway). The CHIC project is supported by the European Union Joint Undertaking for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH JU) with 26 million Euros, and has 25 partners from across Europe, along with industrial partners for vehicle supply and refueling infrastructure. The project is based on a staged introduction and build-up of FCH bus fleets and the supporting hydrogen refuelling stations and infrastructure, in order to facilitate the smooth integration of the FCH buses in Europe‟s public transport system.
FUEL CELL BUSES NOW IN SERVICE IN LONDON
 3 CHIC fuel cell hydrogen buses are now in service in London and by the end of 2011 there will be a total of 8 in operation there. The buses are running on the RV1 route, which takes passengers to Covent Garden, the Tower of London and the South Bank. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “These buses are a marvel of hydrogen technology, emitting only water rather than belching out harmful pollutants. They will run through the most polluted part of the city, through two air pollution hotspots, helping to improve London‟s air quality.”
David Brown, Managing Director for Surface Transport at Transport for London (TfL), added: “London faces many environmental challenges but we believe alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, will bring genuine long term benefits in tackling CO2 emissions. The arrival of these hydrogen hybrid fuel cell buses marks an exciting new chapter for London Buses as we embrace new technologies to further build on the excellent work we are doing to improve air quality for Londoners.”
The buses will run from a specially designed maintenance facility housed in First‟s bus depot at Stratford in east London. This will include the UK‟s largest permanent hydrogen refuelling station to be maintained by Air Products. London has always been at the forefront in using and developing new technology, initially pioneering hydrogen buses in the UK when it took part in the Cleaner Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) trial. TfL operated three trial hydrogen buses on the route RV1, using the findings from these trials and that of European partners to seek out the suppliers who have developed these next generation hydrogen fuel cell buses to operate in central London. The latest bus project is jointly funded by TfL, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the European Union via the Clean Hydrogen in Cities (CHIC) project.
Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor for policing and Chair of the London Hydrogen Partnership, is seen here at the driving wheel. He said: “The arrival of a flagship fleet of hydrogen powered buses places London at the forefront of this revolutionary fuel cell technology. We are thinking big and have ambitious plans to promote the use of hydrogen on the ground, propelling vehicles and powering buildings. With these buses, people can now see, touch and feel this technology for themselves and help play an exciting part in London‟s energy future.”
The London Hydrogen Partnership (LHP) launched an action plan in early 2010 setting out ambitions to create a „Hydrogen network‟ by 2012, to help accelerate the wider use of this zero-polluting, zero-carbon energy. The LHP is working with London boroughs and private landowners on plans to deliver six refuelling sites to run hydrogen-powered vehicles in the capital over the next two years. It also aims to encourage a minimum of 150 hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road in London by 2012, including 15 hydrogen powered taxis. |
