A hydrogen fuel cell bus, zero emissions, carries out test runs on the Airport line in Zaragoza, Spain.
The Zaragoza City Council has reached an agreement with Ágreda Bus, a company owned by the Alsa Group and Ágreda Automóvil, to have a hydrogen bus for testing on the Airport line starting this week. The main objective will be to test this zero-emission electrical technology on a mixed urban and peri-urban route, which requires specific characteristics in terms of autonomy and performance due to the type of route it takes.
The vehicle was presented at a press conference in which the Minister of Public Services and Mobility, Natalia Chueca; Juan Calvo, president Ágreda Bus, concessionaire holder of the line; and Francisco Iglesias, CEO of Grupo Alsa.
Natalia Chueca says this test will be:
Very significant in our objective of achieving that all public transport in Zaragoza becomes zero emissions in the near future .
“We have already launched our commitment to the electric urban bus with the acquisition of 68 new Irizar ieTram buses. But – he added – we must continue investigating and knowing in depth the operation of all the new technologies at our disposal, to apply the different variants to each type of route and public service”.
In the tests that begin with passengers, a 12-meter vehicle manufactured by the Caetano brand and powered by Toyota’s fuel cell technology will be used. Hydrogen (H2) is used as a source of energy and electricity and consequently for propulsion. The only thing the vehicle emits is water vapor.
Before being put into operation for passenger tests, the bus underwent several days of empty tests, loaded with ballast, in order to more fully test its autonomy and ride qualities. The vehicle has an average consumption of 7.47 kilograms of hydrogen per 100 kilometers. Hydrogen for these test days will be supplied by the company Carburos Metónicos.
From Monday to Saturday, this hydrogen bus will travel 490 commercial kilometers per day (11 expeditions in each direction between Zaragoza-Airport). On Sundays and holidays the journey is somewhat shorter: 399 commercial km per day (9 expeditions in each direction between Zaragoza-Airport).
A fuel cell is, in essence, a battery that uses an external fuel supply, connected to an electric motor. The electrodes inside the cell store a catalytic reaction where fuel and oxidants are electrochemically transformed, producing direct current energy, water and heat. In addition to being a zero-emission vehicle, it is also as quiet as any other electric bus.
Main contributions of H2 technology
- Zero emissions technology. Hydrogen (H2) as a source of energy and electricity as a source of propulsion, using a fuel cell generates electricity. The only thing that the vehicle emits is water vapor.
- The fuel cell does not contain corrosive fluids.
- High efficiency. Fuel cells are more efficient than any conventional power generation system.
- Modularity. The availability of fuel cells as separate modules provides additional benefits. A change of scale to higher powers is easily achieved with the connection of modules, thus providing a great adaptation to the demand.
- Without limitations in autonomy. Refueling / recharging time similar to a traditional vehicle.
- Free of sound emissions.
Hihglights:
- The Ágreda Bus company has agreed with the City Council to carry out the tests that serve to prove the viability of this technology in Zaragoza.
- It is a 12-meter, zero-emission vehicle manufactured by the Caetano company that uses fuel cell systems from Toyota
A hydrogen fuel cell bus, zero emissions, carries out test runs on the Airport line starting today, November 17, 2021
