CHIC

Ballard Power Systems announced on December 20th 2011 that the 20-bus fleet operated by BC Transit in the Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia and powered by Ballard FCvelocityTM-HD6 fuel cell modules recently surpassed 1-million miles (1.6-million kilometers) of revenue service. The BC Transit fleet has been the largest hydrogen fuel cell-powered bus fleet in operation anywhere since it went into service approximately 2-years ago and is the first hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet to achieve the 1-million mile revenue service mark. The buses went into service in January, 2010 prior to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and have been an effective showcase for clean transportation alternatives. By end-November 2011 a number of important results had been achieved: • The 20-bus fleet had operated a total of 80,000 hours; • More than 9,600 safe refuellings had been completed, by which 220,000 kilograms of hydrogen was dispensed to the fleet’s buses; and • 2,200 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were avoided, in comparison to diesel buses, which is equivalent to removing approximately 400 passenger vehicles from the roads. Source: Ballard PR, FuelCellToday

Hydrogenics Corporation announced on the 25th of November the award to deliver one HySTAT(TM)60 electrolyser, capable to produce 130kg a day of pure hydrogen. It will be part of a complete electrolysis-based fueling station awarded to Carbagas, a fully owned subsidiary of the Air Liquide group. The electrolyser is expected to be delivered to the city of Brugg in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland at the beginning of 2012. The hydrogen fueling station, delivering green hydrogen at 350bar, will be based at the PostAuto bus garage in Brugg and will be used to operate five Citaro FuelCELL buses. PostAuto (www.postauto.ch) is the biggest public bus operator in Switzerland with over 2,000 vehicles in operation. This project is part of the CHIC initiative, a European demonstration project of fuel cell buses (chic-project.eu). The Aargau bus project will reduce noise and improve air quality in the canton by reducing harmful emissions from public transport. This fueling station will deliver 100% green hydrogen, thanks to the use of green electricity generated by the local energy utility IBB (hydro-electric, solar, wind and biomass) further demonstrating that a complete carbon free chain using electrolysis has its place in the future energy mix for transport applications. Source: Hydrogenics, [...]

On September 8th 2011 two hydrogen-driven fuel cell hybrid buses successfully finished a four-month test period. The 18 meter articulated buses named “Phileas” will now take up regular public transport service on inner-city and regional lines in the Rhein-Erft county for the first time.