A tender has been released for the acquisition of 127 fuel cell buses in the Bologna and Ferrara region, with an option to purchase an additional 140 vehicles.
In collaboration with the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Bologna, municipal operator TPER seeks to achieve zero emissions in the Bologna urban area by 2030, twenty years earlier than the goal set by the European Union for 2050.
The German organization Wolftank has been chosen by TPER as an operational-industrial partner for TPH2 in light of this hydrogen vehicle deployment. It will be up to the consortium to design an integrated hydrogen fueling system for buses.
The delivery of the remaining fuel cell buses for TPER Bologna will occur by June 2026. The first 34 buses for Bologna and 3 for Ferrara will be delivered by 2024.
By 2026, 127 twelve-meter hydrogen buses with an option for an additional 140 are expected to be in operation in Bologna and Ferrara. The provision of spare parts for the duration of the vehicles’ lives is also covered by the tender.
The cost of the 127 buses, at a base price of €76.2 million, will be covered by funds from Next Generation EU. The National Strategy Plan for Sustainable Transport, among other financial sources, may be utilized to pay for the optional vehicles, according to TPER.
