During the Pitane Mobility user day in Scheveningen which will take place on September 20, 2019 Erwin Stoker, huhalso development OV Bureau Groningen-Drenthe, one of our guest speakers. The topic of discussion is the construction of the wrefueling station and the purchase of 20 hydrogen buses for the Groningen Drenthe bus concession.

Realizing a sustainable or autonomous fleet.

The Public transport agency Groningen Drenthe has commissioned the construction of a hydrogen filling station, the supply of hydrogen and the purchase of 20 hydrogen buses. Shell Netherlands has won the tender for the supply of hydrogen for the buses and is building a hydrogen filling station in Groningen for this. Transporter Qbuzz has given bus builder Van Hool from Belgium the final assignment for the delivery of 20 hydrogen buses.

With Shell's choice to supply hydrogen, the realization of the filling station at Peizerweg in Groningen and the delivery of 20 new buses, hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important energy carrier in sustainable public transport in the Northern Netherlands. The buses and the hydrogen filling station will go into service in December 2020.

The hydrogen-electric buses have a range of 350-400 km on a full tank. During the ride, hydrogen is converted into electricity, which supplies the electric drive sustainably. The range, without intermediate charging, is significantly longer than that of battery buses. These buses can therefore be used well on longer routes in the timetable. The buses run on regional lines in Drenthe and in Groningen.

Efficient public transport by bus.

The public transport agency organizes efficient public transport (by bus) on behalf of the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and the municipality of Groningen for residents and visitors. A team of 30 people, divided into five teams, organizes this public transport proactively based on professional social involvement, within an administrative context. Each of the teams contributes from the projects and tasks to the realization of the objectives as formulated each year in the budget.

The public transport agency has revenue responsibility for public transport by bus in Groningen and Drenthe. This means that the public transport agency has a broader task than just tendering and managing concessions. The public transport agency also fulfills the role of director who develops transport and involves the customer / traveler in this process.

Also read: Belgian Van Hool is commissioned from the Netherlands for twenty hydrogen buses