A demonstration of zero-emission public transport took place in early June in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. South Wales Transport and Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions demonstrated the Caetano H2City.Gold bus on a local service, fuelled by locally produced ‘green hydrogen’ made from renewable energy and local water.
The bus was supported by a HyQube refueller provided by Fuel Cell Systems, and the hydrogen fuel was produced and supplied by green hydrogen developer Protium, from its recently commissioned installation at the University of South Wales Hydrogen Centre. Swansea University students were able to travel on the bus as part of the University’s park & ride provision.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economic Growth Cllr Jeremy Hurley said: “We are pleased to support these trials as the use of hydrogen is very much part of the council’s Decarbonisation and Renewable Energy (DARE) strategy. Hydrogen fuelled buses offer a practical solution for communities to decarbonise public transport and immediately improve air quality. These trials are great news for our county borough and the rest of the region as they could lead the way for cleaner public transport.”
Jayne Cornellius of Swansea University’s sustainability team added: “Decarbonising public transport is key to achieving our individual and collective commitments for net zero carbon.”
The bus was also used on a route running between Neath bus station and Pontardawe, chosen to see how the bus performs on long hills. Bev Fowles, Managing Director of South Wales Transport, said: “It’s great to be able to test new technologies such as the Caetano City Gold bus in real world scenarios. I’m confident that hydrogen will help us achieve a net zero public transport system in South Wales.”
