Summary - Third Annual Conference on Hydrogen-fuelled Buses and Infrastructure in Europe

Hydrogen as a fuel for public transport is expected to play a critical role in Europe being able to achieve 55 per cent net emission reductions by 2030 (compared to 1990) and net zero by 2050.

Significant progress has been made towards the deployment and commercialisation of hydrogen-fuelled buses and infrastructure in the last few years. This has been driven by European Commission’s initiatives including the H2BusEurope scheme to deploy 1,000 hydrogen buses and infrastructure, JIVE and JIVE 2 projects to operate nearly 300 fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), 3Emotion, MEHRLIN, revision of the Directive on deployment of the alternative fuels infrastructure (DAFI), and so on. These initiatives have advanced the commercialisation of FCEBs, facilitated commercial viability for bus operators and demonstrated a financeable demand-led business model for HRSs.

Many cities including Aberdeen, Köln, Meckenheim, Groningen, Drenthe, Versailles, Heinenoord, London, Bolzano and Aargau have undertaken path breaking initiatives to deploy fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) and have relevant experiences to be shared with other cities.

Several important developments have taken place in 2022. Germany’s Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), which is already operating the largest hydrogen-fuelled bus fleet in Europe, ordered another 100 hydrogen-powered fuel cell hybrid buses in July 2022. In March 2022, The West Midlands region of the UK announced that it will receive 124 new hydrogen vehicles, making it the region with the largest hydrogen bus fleet in the western world with 144 buses. The Municipality of Venice announced that it will purchase 106 hydrogen-powered and build the relevant infrastructure by 2026. Many cities/regions including Barcelona, Bologna, Bolzano, Bratislava, Glonn, Hofolding, Innsbruck, Ile-de-France, Lille and Mallorca also placed new orders this year.

Use of hydrogen for bus transport is expected to receive a further impetus with the setting up of hydrogen valley projects in Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

There are several benefits of deploying fuel cell buses, including almost no local emissions in terms of exhaust gas and reduced operating noise. The buses also guarantee the required ranges and short refuelling time. That said, there are still barriers of price and energy efficiency of FCEBs as compared to electric buses as well as the challenge of the hydrogen supply chain and infrastructure.

In light of these developments and opportunities in the segment, Global Mass Transit (GMT) is organising the third edition of the conference on Hydrogen-fuelled Buses and Infrastructure in Europe on December 1, 2022 at the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel.

The mission of the conference is to discuss the European Commission’s (EC) programmes, policies, initiatives and funding for hydrogen-fuelled buses and hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs). It will evaluate the progress so far, highlight opportunities in the deployment of hydrogen-fuelled buses and development of infrastructure in Europe, provide information on procuring, financing, operating and maintaining hydrogen-fuelled buses as well as HRSs and discuss the experience so far, recent developments, best practices, issues with large-scale deployment and lessons learnt. It will also showcase noteworthy case studies and new and existing technologies.

The conference will bring together policymakers, transit agencies, city government officials, OEMs, bus manufacturers, suppliers of bus components, technology providers, energy providers, hydrogen-fuelling infrastructure providers, funding agencies, multilateral development banks, consultants, researchers and academicians.

The one-day in-person conference will have seven targeted sessions and case studies, with participation from a wide range of international experts, who will provide valuable insights and actionable advice. The agenda will cover the plans of cities for deploying hydrogen-fuelled buses and setting up HRSs in Europe. It will also highlight the latest developments and solutions to improve customer experience.

The conference will also help understand the role governments, transit agencies, transport operators, manufacturers and consultants can play in deploying hydrogen-fuelled buses in a city. Besides, it will provide insights into the offerings of leading manufacturers and suppliers.

There will also be a dedicated session on the experiences of leading cities in the deployment of hydrogen-fuelled buses. This will provide an opportunity to learn how to deploy hydrogen-fuelled buses and set up fuelling infrastructure, mobilise funding and manage stakeholder expectations.

Role of hydrogen in achieving climate neutrality in Europe
EC’s initiatives in promoting hydrogen-fuelled buses
Case studies, key deployments, experience so far
Plans of cities for the deployment of clean buses
Opportunities available for manufacturers of hydrogen-fuelled buses
Total cost of ownership (TCO) of hydrogen-fuelled buses
Operations and maintenance of hydrogen-fuelled buses
Hydrogen refuelling stations and infrastructure
Hydrogen valley projects and impact on mobility
Current market size of hydrogen-fuelled buses and infrastructure
Key recent trends and market outlook for hydrogen-fuelled buses in Europe
Sources of financing
Procurement of fuel cell buses and HRS
Economics and business models
Cost-effective integration of fuel cell buses in local bus fleets
Technical and safety specifications for refuelling infrastructure
Commercialisation of hydrogen
Overcoming barriers to the uptake of hydrogen-fuelled buses and roll-out of infrastructure