Public transport has long been considered a greener alternative to travelling by car; replacing a car journey with a bus ride can reduce CO2 emissions by 42%, or 73% if using a train. But what if we could reduce CO2 emissions right down to zero? Thanks to hydrogen fuel cells, the concept of clean public transport is one step closer. Let’s take a deeper look into the role of hydrogen in public transport…
UK Hydrogen Strategy estimates that hydrogen will make up 20 – 30% of the UK’s final energy demand. Decarbonisation of the transport sector is a critical step towards achieving net zero with it producing around a quarter of the UK’s total emissions, and remains the largest emitting sector in the UK.
What are Fuel Cells?
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that creates electricity without combustion. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells use hydrogen as an energy carrier, which when combined with oxygen within the fuel cell, will produce electricity, heat and water vapour.
Fuel cells in the public transport industry
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, also known as fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), store hydrogen fuel in tanks much like a traditional ICE vehicle. They then convert the fuel on-board into electrical energy to power the car and can be refuelled in minutes, giving significant advantages over purely battery-powered electric vehicles. An example of this comparison is battery powered buses. These can take hours to fully recharge and given that public transport is reliant on frequently running services, long charge times are not feasible. If we were to rely solely on battery electric vehicles for public services, the pool size of vehicles would be forced to expand to ensure additional transport is readily available to fill in the gaps created by vehicle charging.
Additionally, fuel cell vehicles have no reliance on electrical charging, which can reduce the impact on the electrical grid from mass vehicle charging.
Hydrogen in public transport settings
Hydrogen fuel cells are already making their way into the public transport landscape.
Transport for London currently has twenty hydrogen fuel cell double-decker buses in its fleet, as well as a hydrogen refuelling centre at the Perivale bus garage. The Mayor of London has stated that hydrogen will play a major role in the sustainable energy future, and has highlighted the similarities that hydrogen-powered vehicles have to diesel in terms of miles per tank and refuelling time. These vehicles can travel 350 to 400 miles on a single tank and can be refuelled in just 3-5 minutes.
In Scotland, the HySeas Programme is aiming to create the world’s first hydrogen-powered zero emission ferry service. Additionally, the hydrogen used for the fuel is produced from local renewable energy sources – creating a truly zero emission ferry service.
How can Intelligent Energy help?
Here at Intelligent Energy, we have developed the IE-DRIVETM HD100, a complete fuel cell system that can provide up to 110kW of through life power and is ideal for use in the public transport sector. It is specifically designed for use in heavy duty applications, such as buses and rail and delivers a compact, modular system with fewer components, improved reliability and reduced system costs, using our patented evaporatively cooled technology.
FAQs about hydrogen fuel cells for public transport
Below, Greg Harris, Chief Commercial Officer at IE, answers your most-asked questions about hydrogen fuel cells for public transport:
Is hydrogen limited to buses?
Although buses are one of the early adopters for hydrogen fuel cells, a wide range of passenger cars and heavy duty vehicles are also transitioning to the cleaner technology.
Fuel cells are also being integrated into trains, planes, forklifts and drones.
How does a hydrogen bus compare with a battery-electric bus in day-to-day service?
Buses are a great example of how hydrogen fuel cell technology can improve operations compared to battery-electric. Here’s why:
Buses will operate around a route every single day and the range in which they can cover before recharging / refuelling can impact the size of the fleet and the number of buses on the road.
FCEVs tend to provide greater range with a higher daily mileage enabling longer routes to be covered. Whether they carry out longer routes or more regular shorter, urban schedules, they can operate for a longer period before they need to refuel. Refuelling takes place in minutes compared to the hours spent recharging a battery-electric bus meaning downtime is decreased and the turnaround from refuelling and getting back out on the road is much quicker. This can reduce the number of buses required as a replacement bus isn’t needed on the roads whilst the others are charging.
What are governments doing to support hydrogen public transport?
Different governments around the world have shown varying levels of proactiveness when it comes to supporting hydrogen powered public transport. Funding, regulations, pilot programs, and infrastructure developments are all slowly progressing in order to encourage the adoption of the clean technology, however until the infrastructure is in place, there is limited capacity to roll out hydrogen fleets. Hydrogen Valleys and Hubs are being created around the globe and are an example of how governments are trying to encourage investment.
Intelligent Energy is proud to be one of the world’s leading hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers, offering a full range of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell products for automotive, aerospace, power generation, telecoms, marine, rail, UAV and material handling industries. To get in touch with any enquires, or to learn more about how we’re powering the hydrogen future, contact us.