Barcelona public transit operator receives 1st fuel-cell bus, H2 station ready

Spanish utility Iberdrola SA (BME:IBE) said that it has started producing green hydrogen for Barcelona public transit operator TMB which has just received its first of eight fuel-cell buses it plans to incorporate into its fleet.

The hydrogen bus, H2 City Gold LHD, was manufactured and delivered by Portugal’s CaetanoBus. The vehicle is 12 metres long with a lightweight aluminium body with three doors. Inside is the Toyota fuel-cell with a 60-kW rated power, and five hydrogen type 4 tanks with a capacity to store 37.5 kg of hydrogen, Iberdrola said.

The Siemens traction motor delivers a maximum output of 180 kW, and the Siemens ELFA 2 voltage inverter manages all the engine power. The hydrogen system is complemented by the LTO lithium-ion traction batteries with a total capacity of 44 kWh, the utility said.

The fuel-cell bus will start commercial service on a regular route in 2022 after a period of testing without passengers. It will refuel at Iberdrola’s hydrogen station located within Barcelona’s industrial park Zona Franca near TMB’s depot.

Iberdrola will operate the station and supply TMB’s fuel-cell buses under a ten-year contract.

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