Saarbahn orders 28 hydrogen buses from Wrightbus

The Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus has received an order from the German transport operator Saarbahn to supply 28 Kite Hydroliners. The first five H2 buses are to be delivered this year.

Following a Europe-wide invitation to tender, Wrightbus was selected as the supplier. The first five buses are due to arrive in Saarbrücken this year. It is unclear when the remaining 23 buses will be delivered. The tendering process for the H2 refuelling station has also been completed in the meantime. The refuelling station is to be built at the Saarbahn bus depot in Malstatter Straße in Saarbrücken at the same time as the buses are delivered.

The Northern Irish manufacturer is offering the hydrogen bus, which can transport up to 90 passengers, with either a 70 or 100 kW fuel cell module. There is also a choice of 4 cylinders with 32 kg, 5 cylinders with 40 kg or 7 cylinders with 50 kg of hydrogen. The system is complemented by a 54 kWh Microvast battery. It is not clear from the press releases which configuration the public transport operator ultimately decided on for the Kite Hydroliner FCEV.

“With Wrightbus, we have found a partner to bring zero-emission buses to the streets of Saarbrücken and the neighbouring region as quickly as possible. We take our environmental responsibility very seriously and this is the first step in ensuring that the first part of our fleet will consist of zero-emission buses in the next few years, as required by the EU’s Clean Vehicle Directive,” explains project manager Torsten Burgardt from Saarbahn. “We are delighted to be providing even more zero-emission buses to support clear net-zero targets. Saarbahn is the largest transport company in Saarland, so the addition of hydrogen buses to the fleet will have a significant positive impact on the region’s environment,” adds Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive of Wrightbus.

There is no information on how much Saarbahn is investing in the purchase of the 28 H2 buses. The public transport operator has only stated that around five million euros will be invested in the refuelling infrastructure. Last year, the transport operator received funding totalling 11.17 million euros from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) for the purchase of the H2 buses and the associated refuelling and maintenance infrastructure. The funding is part of the technology-neutral “Directive on the promotion of alternative drive systems for buses in passenger transport”.

Source: Info via email, saarbahn.de (in German)