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Following the order for 16 fuel cell buses for the United States, Van Hool has now won an order for 5 fuel cell buses for Oslo in Norway. The order is part of the European programme for hydrogen buses. Van Hool, which is increasingly acquiring a reputation for using the most advanced environmental technologies in public transport, received the order for 5 fuel cell buses after responding to an international call for tenders by Ruter A/S in Oslo.
Van Hool Fuelcell bus Oslo
Van Hool beat off the competition with a 13 m long tri-axle vehicle developed in 2007 to meet the requirements specified by Belgian public transport company De Lijn and based on the positive results revealed upon completion of the 24-month trial period and 100,000 km: zero emissions (complete absence of harmful gases and CO2), greatly reduced noise and high availability. In addition, the vehicles for Oslo will be equipped with the latest technological developments in the area of fuel cells (from the Canadian company Ballard Power Systems), lithium batteries and Siemens electric motors. Bearing in mind the specific use to which they will be put in Oslo, the buses will have a stainless steel frame and panelling, three doors and 37 forward-facing seats.
The bus is electrically powered. Hydrogen is converted into electricity in the fuel cell, with water vapour as the only emission, while the batteries provide backup where and when necessary. Braking energy is recovered in full, so that hydrogen consumption is minimal. The Van Hool buses for Oslo will be delivered before the end of 2011.
Also a number of on-going demonstration projects, under coordination from the Flanders HydrogenNet, involving the use of hydrogen are currently taking place in this part of Belgium within the Interreg program. For example, in the port of Antwerp Solvay is building a 1MW electricity plant using residual hydrogen from the industrial production process. A waste product, this residual hydrogen is ideal for use as a fuel to drive buses. And HydrogenNet has recently bought a hydrogen filling station from Hydrogenics in Oevel.