Germany: Cologne / Bonn region gets the world's largest hydrogen bus fleet

The regional bus operator Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK) has received almost 34 million in subsidy from the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport for the purchase of 108 hydrogen-powered buses. The carrier is already running 40 buses with a fuel cell. In total, the 160 hydrogen buses will form the largest H2 bus fleet in the world by 2025.

In the first purchasing phase, RVK is now purchasing 79 normal hydrogen-powered buses and 29 extra-long concertina buses in the second phase. The first deliveries will take place in December 2022. All 108 buses should be in service by 2025. 

The RVK, located in Cologne, provides public transport in the Cologne and Bonn region. The company has been using buses with hydrogen fuel cell drives since 2011, increasing in intensity in recent years. The current hydrogen procurement project with 108 buses is the largest for the RVK to date and is funded under the bus/rail financing guidelines of the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport. The total investment amount is 33.9 million euros.

Hydrogen buses with fuel cells score points in many respects: they cause hardly any emissions locally. In addition to the greatly reduced noise emission, this means No NOx and CO2 emissions. With the 108 new buses running on hydrogen, 9.96 tons of NOx and 5777.45 tons of CO2 will be saved or avoided by 2025. The bus company RVK is also very pleased with the operational efficiency, especially in regional transport, with the very good range and their short refueling time, comparable to that of a diesel bus.

RVK director Dr. Marcel Frank: “With a total of 160 fuel cell buses, we will soon be able to offer emission-free public transport for a large part of our traffic area. Our thanks go to the Federal Ministry for this.”

Photo: dozens of hydrogen-powered buses are now running in the Cologne region, produced by the Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool.