Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has taken another step towards a new zero-emission mobility with the resolution of the tender called to supply eight new hydrogen fuel cell buses, the first intended for regular service on an urban network in Spain. The winner of the tender was the Portuguese manufacturer Caetano Bus, which will supply the eight vehicles in 2021 for an amount of 6.4 million euros.
The acquisition of the eight fuel cell buses is part of TMB’s strategic option for the modernization and greening of its bus, always with the green purchasing criteria (choosing the most environmentally friendly product available). The Ministry of Industry has praised TMB’s initiative to adopt hydrogen, a key element in the decarbonization of transport. The Government’s roadmap foresees that in 2030 between 150 and 200 buses powered by this energy will circulate in Spain.
“As a company with a vocation for leadership, we are committed to innovation and the fight against pollution in cities, with the aim of achieving cleaner mobility for the future. In this sense, TMB must always be at the forefront of sustainable and efficient mobility, which is why we are taking a further step in the improvement of the fleet with the purchase of clean fuel buses. And we do not limit ourselves to purchasing vehicles, as we are also committed to enhancing the infrastructure necessary to promote this type of energy with measures such the construction of a hydrogen station,” said the president of TMB Rosa Alarcón.
The eight buses acquired by TMB will be the H2 City Gold LHD model from Caetano, with 12 meters long. Their technological core will be the fuel cell, from the Japanese firm Toyota, of 60 kilowatts. The motorization and the electronic part will be provided by Siemens. The manufacturer estimates a daily consumption of 20 kilos of hydrogen and a range of 300 kilometers. They will arrive in Barcelona in November 2021 with the expectation that they will join the service in early 2022.
The vehicles will be assigned to the Business Operative Center of the Free Zone and will be supplied with hydrogen at the refueling point that will be built in the same industrial park based on the agreement signed by TMB and the Free Zone Consortium last June. The station, the first in Spain with public access, will supply about 160 kilos of hydrogen of renewable sources per day to the eight TMB buses and will also provide services to other companies in the area and to individuals. Construction is currently in the bidding phase.
The acquisition of the eight hydrogen vehicles is supported by the European JIVE 2 program for the promotion of fuel cell and zero-emission vehicles, co-financed by the European Union, in which TMB is the only participating Spanish operator. The project is being promoted with the collaboration of the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM).
Source: TMB
