Solaris has clinched a deal to supply TPER, Bologna’s municipal public transport operator, with 130 Urbino 12 hydrogen-powered buses, marking one of Europe’s largest fuel cell bus contracts.

This move aligns with Bologna’s ambition to achieve a fully emissions-free urban public transport system by 2030. The tender for this substantial hydrogen vehicle deployment was issued in March 2023, following the announcement of plans in December 2022.

To support this initiative, TPER has partnered with the German company Wolftank, forming a consortium known as TPH2, tasked with establishing an integrated hydrogen refueling infrastructure for the buses. Initial delivery of 37 hydrogen buses is set for 2024, with the remaining units arriving between 2025 and 2026. Solaris’ contract covers not only the initial 130 vehicles but also provides the option to extend the order by an additional 140 buses.

Funding for the bus purchase comes from Next Generation EU, with a €76.2 million base price for the 127 buses, and supplementary funding from sources like the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Mobility may be utilized for the optional vehicles, according to TPER.