For the first time, hydrogen-powered buses are transporting passengers on the streets of the West Midlands.
Birmingham City Council’s 20 zero-emission double deckers began service on National Express West Midlands route 51 to Walsall via Perry Barr on Monday, December 6, 2021. These are the only hydrogen buses in England outside of London.
Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Waseem Zaffar, said: “Birmingham City Council’s zero-emission green-hydrogen bus fleet provides an innovative solution for cities that want to decarbonize public transport. They should immediately improve air quality and help us work towards Birmingham’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Birmingham residents may feel assured that their city is playing a leading role in actioning policies and informing debate about zero-emission public transport at local and national level.”
The new buses were purchased as part of the Council’s Clean Air Hydrogen Bus Pilot, which is a market leader in zero-emissions logistics.
Managing Director of National Express West Midlands, David Bradford, said: “The West Midlands already has the cheapest bus fares in England – just £4 via contactless for a daysaver; and now we are running the very greenest buses, emitting just water droplets from the exhaust pipe. It’s a great deal for our customers – just by getting the bus, they’re saving money and saving the planet. These state-of-the-art buses are a sign of our commitment to sustainability. National Express bought our last diesel bus in 2019, and our goal is that the whole fleet will be zero-emission by 2030. So we’re working with Transport for West Midlands to get hundreds more electric and hydrogen buses on routes across Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country.”
The Clean Air Hydrogen Bus Pilot in Birmingham will serve as a catalyst for the development of the next generation of hydrogen buses, hydrogen production, and refueling infrastructure.
The project is supported by the OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles), GBSLEP (Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership), Birmingham City Council, and JIVE project funding from the FCH JU (European Funding from the Fuel Cell Hydrogen Joint Undertaking) under grant agreement number 735582. Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research, both part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, support the FCH JU.
The council is also working with ITM, which is producing and dispensing hydrogen fuel from Tyseley Energy Park’s new refuelling hub.
