Australian-based public transport company, Transit Systems, has announced a joining with strategic partners to establish the H2OzBus Project, leveraging its global network to continue to explore delivery of innovative and sustainable transport solutions.
Transit Systems has joined forces with strategic partners Ballard Power Systems, BOC Limited and Palisade Understanding as a further step in evaluating and demonstrating the concept of hydrogen fuel cell electric buses for use in public bus transport in Australia.
The Consortium will collaborate on a project to further investigate deploying an initial 100 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses in cities across Australia in Phase 1, with the intention to use this as a seed for more widespread roll-out.
The formation of the new H2OzBus Project will address the zero-emission public transit needs in Australia and will provide bus operators with an alternative electric bus option with no compromise on performance and operation.
Hydrogen fuel cell electric buses for public transport have alignment to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s key investment priorities in Accelerating Hydrogen and Decarbonising Industry.
The first phase of the project is a concept development phase that will focus on infrastructure requirements and detailed plans for use of hydrogen fuel cell electric buses on bus routes in up to ten central hub locations across Australia where interest and demand for fuel cell buses has already been identified.
The consortium is leveraging the strengths of each partner as they work towards agreement on feasibility, scope and funding of the next phase of the Project. ITM Power and BOC will provide the hydrogen production and refuelling infrastructure, Ballard Power Systems will supply the fuel cell system to be integrated into the electric buses supplied by supporting bus manufacturers, Transit Systems will maintain and operate the vehicles as part of their daily urban transit operations (or within a strategically located project managed by Transit Systems), and Palisade Investment Partners will assist in providing funding and strategic financial oversight for the project.
“The establishment of the H2OzBus group demonstrates a globally recognised transport group,” CEO SeaLink Travel Group, Clint Feuerherdt, said.
“It seeks to provide a “turn-key” solution to generate a ‘zero emission’ outcome in public transport. We are proud to work alongside our government partners and agencies, as well as industry partners to ensure that our solutions continue to set the benchmark for what is possible.”
