Solaris has been awarded a contract to supply five hydrogen-powered Urbino 12 hydrogen buses to Palma de Mallorca, the island’s capital. The contract is valued at approximately €4 million.
EMT-Board Palma’s of Directors has chosen to purchase five hydrogen-powered, zero-emission Solaris cars. This investment is part of the EU-funded “Green Hyslan” project. The project’s mission is to advance renewable energy production as part of efforts to prevent climate change by 2050. The Spanish island is expected to become a European benchmark for zero-emission energy use as a result of the planned operations.
“Interest in hydrogen technology is steadily growing and the decision of the authorities of Palma de Mallorca to purchase Urbino 12 hydrogen buses is a perfect example of this. We are very proud that as a manufacturer and supplier of state-of-the-art vehicles we can support yet another city in the transition to zero-emission public transport. We strongly believe that our hydrogen buses will excellently serve the residents of this beautiful island”, said Petros Spinaris, member of the Management Board for Sales and After Sales.
Hydrogen buses are a critical component of Solaris’ e-mobility portfolio and an appealing prospect for towns and cities pursuing zero-emission public transportation networks. The highly advanced Urbino 12 hydrogen bus was unveiled at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Stockholm in 2019 as a complement to battery-electric vehicles. Another vehicle of this sort, the articulated Urbino 18 hydrogen bus, is scheduled to enter service in the second half of 2022.
The Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen bus works admirably in urban environments. It creates no local emissions because the hydrogen fuel cell’s chemical reaction produces only water as a byproduct. Its range is up to 350 kilometers due to the use of modern technology. The refueling process takes only a few minutes, making the bus extremely easy to operate and providing flexibility for local transportation operators. In comparison to diesel vehicles, it creates very modest vibrations and a scarcely audible degree of noise.
Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses are currently be seen on the streets of Bolzano, Italy, Cologne, and Wuppertal, Germany, as well as in the Dutch province of South Holland. These locations will now be joined by the city of Palma de Mallorca, which has a population of over 800,000 and is the capital of one of Europe’s most popular tourist islands.
