Fuel Cell Electric Buses An attractive Value Proposition for Zero-Emission Buses In Denmark - April 2020 - Photo: An Attractive Line Bloch Value Klostergaard, Proposition North for Denmark Zero-Emission Region Buses. in Denmark Executive Summary Seeking alternatives to diesel buses are crucial for realizing the Danish zero Zero–Emission Fuel Cell emission reduction agenda in public transport by 2050. In Denmark alone, public transport and road-transport of cargo account for ap- proximately 25 per cent of the Danish CO2 emissions. Thus, the deployment of zero emission fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) will be an important contribution Electric Buses for Denmark. to the Danish climate law committed to reaching 70 per cent below the CO2 emissions by 2030 and a total carbon neutrality by 2050. In line with the 2050 climate goals, Danish transit agencies and operators are being called to implement ways to improve air quality in their municipalities while maintaining quality of service. This can be achieved with the deployment of FCEBs and without compromising on range, route flexibility and operability. As a result, FCEBs are now also being included as one of the solutions in coming zero emission bus route tenders Denmark. Danish municipalities play an important role in establishing the public transport system of the future, however it is also essential that commercial players join forces to realize the deployment of zero-emission buses. In order to push the de- velopment forward, several leading players in the hydrogen fuel cell value chain have teamed up and formed the H2BusEurope consortium committed to support the FCEB infrastructure. FCEBs are hybrid-electric buses with a high efficiency zero-emission “generator” which converts energy from hydrogen gas and air into electricity. A FCEB offers all the benefits of electric drive while improving the bus performance with no compromise in service and operation. Delivering the required mix of emission reduction, fast refuelling, extended range and route flexibility, FCEBs are the only zero-emission direct 1:1 replacement for diesel, CNG and biogas buses. FCEBs have been in commercial service for more than ten years in cities all over the world. In March 2020 the first 3 FCEBs were put into official operation in Denmark. The 3 buses mark a very important step towards zero emission public transport in Denmark, as the buses bridge the gap between demonstration and larger scale deployment of FCEBs. However, to continue reducing the price of Photo: Line Bloch Klostergaard, North Denmark Region. FCEBs, scaling up the deployment of fuel cells is key. Van Hool fuel cell electric bus operated by Keolis and Arriva in Aalborg, Denmark Denmark is a front runner in implementing renewable energy from e.g. wind tur- bines, and through electrolysis excess wind energy can be converted to hydrogen and can be a zero-emission alternative replacing combustion engine vehicles running on fossil fuels. Thus, hydrogen production can also cover large parts of the balancing needs in Denmark to integrate renewable energy by 2050. The zero-emission FCEB solution is ready to be implemented and the time is now to make a move to FCEBs for public transport. Read on to learn more about the benefits of zero-emission FCEBs for public transportation in Denmark. 2 3 An Attractive Value Proposition for Zero-Emission Buses in Denmark IntroductionIntroduction Denmark is at the forefront of the fight against climate change. In December 2019, the Danish Parliament agreed on a legally binding Climate Act which sets forth to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 (compared to the 1990 level), and to be completely free of fossil fuels by 2050. Denmark has always been a birthplace for green solutions, and has since the Clean public transit 1970s installed wind turbines onshore. In 1991, Denmark accelerated the green transition by building the worlds first offshore wind farm. In 2019 half of Den- mark’s electricity consumption originated from renewable energy sources— mostly dominated by energy from wind turbines. powered by Denmark is on the right track, however being completely fossil fuel free by 2050 will also require a significant change in the transportation sector. Thus, this pre- sents an opportunity for Denmark to also take a leadership role in deploying zero -emission fuel cell vehicles. With large fleet of buses, transit agencies and opera- tors are in the best position to accelerate and facilitate the transition to fuel cell renewable hydrogen buses (FCEBs) and should set ambitious targets for the replacement of conven- tional bus fleets. FCEBs are ready to be implemented for public transit and will support economic will improve air quali- development while improving the air quality in the cities and reduce the CO2 emissions. Denmark is one of the world leaders within hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, and was the first country in the world to establish a nationwide network of hydrogen refueling stations. Denmark is also fully engaged in fuel cell technology; from R&D to product manufacturing and from hydrogen production ty in our cities. to infrastructure deployment. FCEBs reduce the external environmental and health care costs associated with pollution from transportation. With lower noise levels and air quality improve- ment, operators will benefit from a sustainable and modern image while reduc- ing operating costs and improving passenger satisfaction. In March 2020, the first 3 FCEBs were put into operation in Denmark in the city of Aalborg. The 3 buses are a part of the ambitious EU-funded project 3Emotion (funded through the FCH-JU program), which is one of several initiatives Ballard takes part in, in order to promote the deployment of FCEBs. Promoting the fuel cell technology will contribute to reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and se- curing the scale up of the FCEBs. The buses in Aalborg mark a great start, however the potential for greening the transport sector and the associated benefits are enormous. Thus, if Denmark is to achieve the 2050-target, implementing more FCEBs is part of the solution. 4 5 An Attractive Value Proposition for Zero-Emission Buses in Denmark Benefits of Zero-Emission Fuel Cell Electric Buses FCEBs provide affordable zero-emission transportation with no compromise in GHG Reductions Reliability vehicle performance. FCEBs are the only zero-emission technology to offer full vehicle capability (grade ability, highway speeds, and long range) in all operating FCEBs have zero tailpipe emissions. With millions of kilometers in commer- They produce no nitrogen oxides, sulfur cial service and more than 15 years on environments. dioxides or particulate matter. By using the road in different environments and FCEBs do a complete day’s work even on the most arduous routes and allow for hydrogen produced from renewable en- transit bus duty cycles, FCEBs have a 1:1 replacement for conventional diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG) ergy sources only, buses reach full car- proven to meet operational require- technologies. This means that hydrogen FCEBs can operate on all urban bus bon neutrality from a well to wheel per- ments of transit agencies and bus oper- routes without compromise. spective. One FCEB fueled with hydro- ators. FCEBs in Denmark will benefit gen from renewable energy sources will from the proximity to the European ser- avoid approximately 122kg of CO2 emis- vice center in Hobro, Denmark (Ballard sions for every 100 kilometers traveled Europe) to ensure availability. Perfor- compared to a conventional diesel bus. mance and reliability represents a fully 1:1 zero-emission alternative to diesel Performance buses. A FCEB is a battery-fuel cell hybrid bus. It provides the operator with all the ben- Scalability efits of battery electric buses while ad- Hydrogen filling stations at transit de- dressing the range and charging issues. pots are built to be scalable. The equip- FCEBs operate over 450km during an ment is similar to a CNG station, and a 18-hour shift on the road with a single 5 station can simply and cost-effectively -7 minute re-filling. They do not require increase its capacity from 10 to 100 any charging infrastructure along the buses by upgrading the compression route or at the bus depot. and storage equipment and adding dis- FCEBs powered by Ballard's motive pensers. modules FCveloCity® & FCmove™ have traveled more than 30 million kilome- Flexible Vehicle Integration ters of revenue service with bus availa- Fuel cell power modules for transit bus- Wrightbus Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus bility above 85%. es are commercially available from 30 to 100 kW, allowing bus manufacturers to offer a range of options to meet their customer requirements. Fuel cell power Zero-emission transportation with modules can be integrated into any type of bus from 8m to 18m (articulated) in- no compromise in performance or cluding double decker buses. operation. 6 7 An Attractive Value Proposition for Zero-Emission Buses in Denmark Fuel cell electric bus A FCEB is an electric vehicle that includes both a fuel cell and batteries working seamlessly together to provide efficient zero-emission power without compro- A fuel cell electric bus is mised range or route restrictions. In such hybrid architecture, the fuel cell pro- vides energy to keep the batteries charged, works with the batteries to provide peak traction power, and provides the energy necessary for the bus auxiliary loads. a battery electric bus The fuel cell power module onboard the bus efficiently generates electric energy through an electro-chemical reaction leaving only water and heat as by-products. with an on-board The electric energy is used to keep the batteries charged and, as a further bene- fit, the by-product heat is useful as a source of energy for maintaining passenger comfort, to improve vehicle efficiency. The batteries also provide storage for re- generated energy.