Fleur Gräper, deputy at the Province of Groningen: “Today, another big step, or rather a big leap, has been made in the introduction of green hydrogen as a successor to fossil fuels such as diesel oil and natural gas”
The requirement for a speedy transition away from fossil fuels is growing, and so too in Groningen, are solutions towards ‘clean’ energy. An important step forward has now been taken with the opening of a hydrogen filling station, unique in Europe. As a result, buses can now fill up on hydrogen, and in the future, this should also work for regular cars.
A new hydrogen filling station was opened on Peizerweg in Groningen on Friday. This means that the twenty new hydrogen buses from Qbuzz, which had already been delivered, can now also hit the road, reports the GIC.
The new hydrogen filling station is one of the largest in Europe and is part of a larger development, to help the North become a leader in using hydrogen as its daily power souce.
The deployment of these 20 hydrogen-powered buses means a strong increase in the use of green hydrogen. Fleur Gräper (D66), of the Province of Groningen says: “Today, another big step, or rather a big leap, has been made in the introduction of green hydrogen as a successor to fossil fuels such as diesel oil and natural gas. Hydrogen works, hydrogen is becoming normal and will be the future of the Northern Netherlands.”
The buses can travel about 400 kilometers with a full tank of hydrogen. “That is a lot more than the range of ‘normal’ battery-electric buses, which have to be recharged after about 200 kilometers”, says Peter Mul of the public transport agency Groningen Drenthe, which ordered the construction.
Emission-free public transport for 2030
The hydrogen buses are in line with the national agreements that from 2030 all buses in public transport must be emission-free. The Groningen/Drenthe region is the first region in the Netherlands where hydrogen buses are driving on such a large scale.
