Hydrogen for mobility has proven itself to be a future-proof technology under the wings of the European High V.LO City 1 project. That also became clear during the closing conference of the project on 27 November in Groningen.
INTEGRATION OF PUBLIC BUS TRANSPORT ON HYDROGEN
After seven years, the European High V.LO City project has come to an end. The aim of this project was to demonstrate by means of pilots that hydrogen is a future-proof technology for mobility. In addition, the EU wanted to accelerate the integration of hydrogen-powered public bus transport in cities in this way. The project was co-funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU).
14 BUSES, 4 GAS LOCATIONS
PitPoint was one of the project partners and consequently owns and manages two hydrogen filling stations. These stations are fully operational in Antwerp and Delfzijl . A lot has changed, learned and developed in the hydrogen field in seven years. A total of fourteen hydrogen buses have started running within the project that are fueling at four locations. In addition to Delfzijl and Antwerp, Aberdeen (Great Britain) and San Remo (Italy) are also involved cities. Bus builder Van Hool supplied the hydrogen buses.
AVAILABILITY AS PROOF
Oskar Voorsmit is a Hydrogen business development manager at PitPoint and from that role involved in the High V.LO City project. During the meeting on November 27, he is one of the speakers who shares his experiences of the program and looks ahead to the future. “Hydrogen has really proven itself and is ready to go further into the market. Seven hydrogen buses fill up on a daily basis at these two PitPoint filling stations. That we are dealing with a future-proof technology is also apparent from the availability of buses and gas stations and the number of hydrogen kilometers driven. ” “In order to further scale up the hydrogen product, we as a sector must innovate, standardize and ensure scaling up. After all, the more vehicles, the more hydrogen is needed.
SCALE UP
As a next step in the Netherlands, Voorsmit mentions the recent plans with 50 hydrogen buses for public transport that will run no later than 2021. However, it is not yet time to sit back. “In order to further scale up the hydrogen product, we as a sector must innovate, standardize and ensure scaling up. After all, the more vehicles, the more hydrogen is needed. There are now also more bus suppliers that have a hydrogen bus in their offer compared to the start of High V.LO City in 2013. “
KNOW WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS
To subsequently use hydrogen in an operational environment, according to Voorsmit, service is important. “You have to know what the customer wants. He mainly wants to use the buses in a timetable without having to make concessions. We are able to provide the desired service because we have extensive experience in supplying clean fuels to public transport and because we are present throughout the value chain: from designing, building, maintaining and operating a gas station ”, he concludes. off.
1 High V.LO City is subsidized by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Union (FP7 / 2007-2013) for ‘ the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative ‘ under subsidy agreement n ° 278192.
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