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Wiener Linien Premieres Hydrogen Bus for Testing

By June 5, 2020 5   min read  (952 words)

June 5, 2020 |

Wiener Linien Hydrogen Bus

Wiener Netze, Wiener Linien and Wien Energie jointly implement H2 strategy, hydrogen bus on the 39A line for nine days free of charge, ten H2 buses planned in Vienna from 2023

In 2020, Wiener Linien announced the year of eco buses. After the successful test drives with the 12-meter long E-bus on line 57A, the tests will continue for the first time at Wiener Linien with a hydrogen bus from Solaris on line 39A from June 4th. Up to and including June 12, the H2 bus will be on the route every day.

“The public transport companies make a very central contribution to the climate model city of Vienna. Wiener Linien was and is always a pioneer in environmentally friendly innovations. Of course, zero-emission drives are an important factor in buses, and I am therefore very proud that Wiener Linien is at the forefront in addition to expanding e-mobility when it comes to hydrogen drives, ”said Ulli Sima, Environment and Public Councilor at the Presentation of the test bus on June 3 in the Leopoldau bus garage of Wiener Linien.

The demands on the vehicle are enormous, especially in Vienna: high interval density, short distances between stops and the urban topography require a perfectly coordinated drive system for the buses.

“In addition to the electric drive, the hydrogen drive is a big topic for city buses. All sides are challenged: bus manufacturers have to deliver operational vehicles at realistic prices, transport companies have to tackle the changeover as quickly as possible and politicians have to create the appropriate framework conditions. This is the only way we can make mobility even more sustainable and environmentally friendly, ”summarizes Günter Steinbauer, Managing Director of Wiener Linien.

Wiener Netze, Wiener Linien and Wien Energie jointly implement H2 strategy

A total of ten hydrogen buses are to be used on line 39A from 2023. In addition to the test drives, this of course also requires the appropriate infrastructure. The petrol station necessary for the test operation is provided by the Viennese networks and was built in the Leopoldau bus garage. In trial operation, the bus tank is filled with 35 kilograms of hydrogen within twelve minutes, in normal operation eight minutes are possible. The bus can travel up to 400 kilometers with a full tank. Refueling should take place once a day during the test run and this is exactly what an efficient network infrastructure is required for.

“The good thing is that we can use the existing infrastructure and our know-how, our 120 years of experience with gases for the transport of hydrogen and thus initiate the energy future in a cost-saving manner,” says Wiener Netze Managing Director Gerhard Fida.

Wien Energie is entrusted with the procurement of the hydrogen required in the future. Research work on this is currently the top priority for the energy service provider. “Green hydrogen can be an important building block for more climate protection in the city. Wien Energie is currently examining applications in the areas of industry, mobility and energy storage. In particular, we are researching options for producing green hydrogen, ”says Michael Strebl, Managing Director of Wien Energie. A first concept for this is to be developed by the end of the year. If everything goes as planned, an electrolysis plant could be built in Vienna, in which green hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity.

H2 buses from Solaris soon on the move across Europe

With bus manufacturer Solaris, a very experienced project partner was brought on board for the test operation. Twelve “Urbino 12 hydrogen” H2 buses will go into operation in Bolzano this year. Cologne, Wuppertal and Connexxion (Netherlands) have also already placed orders for the latest generation of buses, as is now being tested in Vienna.

“Vienna is a pioneer in the field of electromobility and one of the first capitals in Europe to invest in electric buses. Wiener Linien relies on innovative emission-free solutions in public transport and I am very happy that we can present our hydrogen bus, the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen, in Vienna today, ”said Petros Spinaris, Vice Chairman of the Board of Solaris Bus & Coach SA

Via the hydrogen bus Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen

The vehicles are equipped with the new fuel cell (70 kW) and Solaris high-power batteries. The battery is supplied with hydrogen energy and the energy recovered when braking. The drive system completes an axis with integrated electric motors (2 x 125 kW). The electrical energy in the hydrogen fuel cell drives the bus emission-free and therefore environmentally friendly. To keep energy consumption as low as possible, an environmentally friendly CO₂ heat pump uses the waste heat from the fuel cell to heat and cool the bus.

The hydrogen is safely stored on the roof. Thanks to the advanced technology used in the vehicle, the bus will be able to offer a range of up to 400 kilometers with one tank of fuel.

82 zero-emission buses on Vienna’s roads by 2027

Wiener Linien will start in 2021 with the invitation to tender for 62 normal buses with a purely electric drive and ten normal buses with a hydrogen drive and fuel cell. In 2024 the tender for the electric minibuses that have been successfully used on lines 2A and 3A since 2013 will start. The first zero-emission buses will be in passenger service from 2023, and a total of 82 alternative-drive buses will strengthen the environmentally friendly Euro 6 bus fleet by 2027 at the latest. Wiener Linien is investing around 90 million euros in the expansion of the eco-bus fleet and in the necessary infrastructure.

This is why a competence center for e-buses is also being built in the south of Vienna. In Siebenhirten, a dedicated e-bus garage with suitable lines for e-operation is being developed.

 

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