Belfast Metropolitan College-led hydrogen technology project GenComm has welcomed trials of a new Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric bus system in Dublin.
A new zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell bus service is now being trialled in Dublin as part of a research project on green energy. The Caetano ‘H2.CityGold’ bus is being used on several routes operated by Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Dublin City University (DCU), and Dublin Airport for the next several weeks.
The bus is being powered by green hydrogen from BOC Gases Ireland Ltd, which is produced by using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This is then efficiently converted back into electricity in the hydrogen fuel cell, with the benefit that the hydrogen has much greater energy density than the battery in a pure electric vehicle can achieve.
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The bus can refuel in just a few minutes and the trial is particularly important because it involves locally-produced hydrogen created from excess renewable electricity. As we continue on a path toward decarbonising our energy supply, road vehicles will need to switch from fossil fuels to green energy sources such as renewable electricity or hydrogen. This trial will produce data on how the bus performs in real world conditions.
GenComm partner Energia will soon begin local in Northern Ireland production of hydrogen for similar vehicles at one of its County Antrim wind farms, which will be used in future trials of hydrogen busses in Belfast. Hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to solve our dependence on fossil fuels for road transit and comes with advantages over battery-only electric vehicles.
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Toyota Ireland's Mark Teevan said: "This should be viewed as an important event, not because it’s the first H2 bus on the road; but because it is a first step into the future for Ireland, enabling us to begin to envisage the practical solutions that will allow us to fully decarbonise road transport. We are delighted that Dublin has been selected to host the very first trial of the Caetano RHD prototype fuel cell bus."
GenComm Programme Manager, Paul McCormack, said: "We are delighted that the bus is on trial and that the it will be on the Bus Eireann route for a number of weeks. The fact that it will also be on routes for Dublin bus, DCU and Dublin Airport shows the amount of interest and buy in to seek alternatives to fossil fuels for public transport. Ireland’s first hydrogen fuel cell bus trial is a major innovative step which will contribute to both the country’s climate challenge and public transport."
Source: Written based on press release
