EU funding has enabled Transport for London (TfL) to make provision for three more hydrogen buses that will enable an entire bus route in London to use this greener, cleaner technology, helping to improve air quality in the English capital.
TfL has secured Eur5.67 million of funding as part of the EU’s Cleaner Hydrogen in Cities (CHIC) project to expand its current hydrogen bus project. The funding allows for three additional zero-emission hydrogen hybrid fuel cell buses and the opportunity to extend the whole demonstration project from three to four years.
The additional buses will join the five existing buses which are due to come into service on route RV1 later this year. All eight buses will be in service by the end of 2011, at which point the entire route, which runs from Covent Garden to Tower Hill, will be operated by zero emission hydrogen technology.
TfL is committed to introducing less polluting transport choices to improve air quality and help tackle London’s CO2 emissions. Once in service the hydrogen hybrid fuel cell buses will produce no harmful emissions, only water vapour. London is one of five European partners benefiting from the EU investment in hydrogen technology, alongside Oslo in Norway, Milan and Bolzano in Italy and Aargau/St Gallen in Switzerland.