Metrobus has launched a new liquid hydrogen fueling station at its Crawley depot for their fleet of Wrightbus hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses.

This is seen as a significant advancement toward sustainable transportation by the company. Previously, Metrobus depended on gaseous hydrogen for their GB Kite Hydroliner buses. This limitation meant not all buses could be fueled and used daily. Though the liquid hydrogen facility is not yet operating at full capacity due to regulatory issues, it managed to fuel nine buses on its first day. The hydrogen, stored in liquid form, is converted to gas for storage in bus-mounted tanks.

Refueling takes about eight minutes from empty to full. Metrobus is advocating for updated hydrogen regulations to support the transport industry’s decarbonization efforts. Using liquid hydrogen is considered an essential step toward a greener future. H

The hydrogen buses in Crawley are used on Fastway services. In 2023, Metrobus chose hydrogen technology due to high vehicle utilization and the need for quick turnaround times. These buses can travel up to 600 miles on a full tank, twice the range of similar electric vehicles. Metrobus and Brighton and Hove Buses Managing Director Ed Wills stated that the company plans for all Fastway services to use hydrogen buses.

This will require 16 buses for routes 10 and 20 and nine for route 100. Long term, up to 54 hydrogen buses are expected to operate from Crawley.