The potential of hydrogen as an accelerator of the energy transformation of urban transport was highlighted by the workshop co-organized by the Bioeconomy and Environment Cluster of Western Macedonia – CluBE and O.SY with the support of Coral Gas, a subsidiary of Motor Oil Group, Hellenic Hydrogen and the European project TRIĒRĒS (small-scale hydrogen valley).
The event, which took place at the O.SY. S.A. depot and was organized as part of the 3rd JIVE Roadshow, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, featured the latest developments in the field of sustainable mobility, clean energy, and green hydrogen.
The event was addressed by the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family of Greece, Mrs.Sophia Zacharaki, who welcomed the initiative and highlighted the need to give a vote of confidence in secure, high quality and environmentally friendly transport for citizens. She also stressed that universal access to public urban transport for people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility is an important government priority.
The basic objective of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which is to facilitate the everyday life of citizens and improve the quality of their mobility, was mentioned by the Secretary General of the Ministry, Ioannis Xifaras, stressing at the same time the importance given to the accessibility of the means of transport. Regarding the use of new technologies in the field of public urban transport, Mr. Xifaras stressed that “over the last four years, targeted measures were taken to upgrade them”, stating that this is an extreme makeover. Pointing out the benefits of hydrogen mobility, he mentioned that there is a plan for the integration of 50 to 100 new hydrogen buses which the ministry is examining, while funding has already been approved for the creation of a hydrogen fuelling station at the premises of O.SY. S.A.
The human-centred effort of O.SY. S.A. and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in the direction of improving the quality of mobility of citizens was highlighted by the CEO of the Company, Stefanos Agiasoglou, stressing that “hydrogen is the fuel of future in heavy transport such as urban transport”. Referring to the cooperation of O.SY. S.A. with Motor Oil for the creation of a small hydrogen valley in Greece, which will be financed by the EU, he stressed that: “Soon, two hydrogen buses will join the fleet of Road Transport vehicles and will serve citizens. In this way, we will be able to carry out the necessary tests to make another leap and move to the use of this technology”.
Nikolas Davos, co-founder and manager of CluBE, which is the national coordinator of the 3rd JIVE Roadshow, said that the main objective of the project is to give local stakeholders (bus operators, public authorities, etc.) the opportunity to experience a fully hydrogen-powered city bus, while collecting important data on the operation, consumption and refuelling process of the vehicle. In addition, he argued that the initiative aims to raise public awareness of the benefits of using hydrogen as a clean energy source for transport.
Lefteris Iatropoulos, Commercial Manager of Coral Gas, a subsidiary of Motor Oil Group, highlighted the pivotal role of Coral Gas in the safe and reliable transport of hydrogen to end users, noting that Motor Oil is bringing the future of clean urban transport in Greece and the Balkans closer, through synergies and initiatives that highlight the potential of hydrogen to reshape the urban mobility sector.
Konstantinos Chatzifotis, European Affairs Manager of Motor Oil Group, referred to Motor Oil’s ambitious plans for the creation of hydrogen production, transport and distribution infrastructure, stating that the cooperation with O.SY. brings the energy modernization of urban mobility closer, through the influx of technologically advanced fuels in public transport.
The 3rd JIVE Roadshow will take place from 17 May to 6 June 2024 in various cities in Greece, such as Kozani, Thessaloniki, Athens, and Patras. The aim of the programme is to give the opportunity for local stakeholders to witness the daily operation of a city bus, which is operating exclusively on hydrogen, to collect data on its operation, consumption and refueling, and to inform the public about the benefits of using hydrogen as a form of clean energy for urban transport.
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