Fifty new hydrogen buses added to public transport. Minister Stientje Van Veldhoven (Environment and Housing), deputy Floor Vermeulen (province of South Holland) and deputy Fleur Gräper (province of Groningen) sign the agreement today. All 50 buses will travel through Groningen, Drenthe and South Holland by 2021 at the latest. The first 20 of these buses have already been ordered and will carry the first travelers next year.
This agreement brings emission-free public transport one step closer. That is good for the climate and clean air. Driving on hydrogen gives a positive boost. The use of 50 new hydrogen buses is important for making transport in the Netherlands more sustainable. At present, 8 hydrogen buses are circulating in public transport in the Netherlands.
“Very good news that 50 will be added soon. Hydrogen really has a future when it comes to heavy transport vehicles such as buses and trucks. They have a large operating radius, without burdening the climate and air quality. Nowadays there are still few petrol stations for hydrogen, but that is of course a chicken and egg story. These 50 buses will all be refueling soon. That could just be the boost that driving on hydrogen needs ”, said Minister Stientje van Veldhoven.
Battery electric cars are suitable for shorter distances. Hydrogen-electric vehicles allow you to travel distances above 400 kilometers on one tank, without producing exhaust gases. This also applies to heavy vehicles, such as buses. The decrease in hydrogen by the buses contributes to the economic viability of hydrogen filling stations. In addition, the technology developed for this purpose can later also be used for trucks, ships and trains running on hydrogen. And the use of hydrogen reduces the load on our electricity network.
Fifty buses in three provinces
The cooperation agreement will be signed symbolically this afternoon on a hydrogen bus, which is parked on the bus platform at The Hague Central. Twenty of the fifty hydrogen buses will actually drive in the area, which are used in the province of South Holland.
“We have the ambition to keep South Holland easily accessible. We also want to work in an innovative way for a better climate. The arrival of the hydrogen buses offers great opportunities to make Public Transport in South Holland more sustainable, ”said Provincial Executive Floor Vermeulen.
Of the 50 buses, 20 will run in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. These buses have been ordered and the corresponding hydrogen filling stations have been put out to tender. An additional 10 buses will be added, which will be deployed in the Emmen region.
“By signing this agreement, we are concretely fulfilling our joint ambition to be at the forefront of the transition from fossil energy to clean and renewable energy, in this case in the form of hydrogen. The buses and the hydrogen filling points are for us a fundamental building block in the hydrogen economy of the future. 'Europe' also gives us an important support in this respect by designating ourselves as the first Hydrogen Valley in Europe and we are proud of that, ”said Provincial Executive Fleur Gräper.
Collaboration between European institutions, the provinces of Groningen and South Holland and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management makes this project possible. The EU contributes 7,5 million euros, the provinces and the ministry each 3,75 million euros. The provinces also financially operate the buses.
2030 all public transport emission-free
In 2016, the State made agreements with public transport clients that every new bus will run emission-free after 2025. From 2030, all buses in public transport must run emission-free. These agreements were confirmed in the climate agreement that was presented in June this year.
There are currently around 500 zero-emission buses in the Netherlands, mostly battery-electric. That number is expected to double in 2020. There are currently eight hydrogen filling stations in the Netherlands. There are expected to be 20 during this cabinet term.
