Gas-powered: one of Metrobus’s new fleet of hydrogen-powered 420 buses started in service last week
Sutton’s cooking on gas.
Metrobus has been rolling out a fleet of hydrogen-powered buses, and last week its first double deckers, operating the 420 route from Sutton town centre to Gatwick Airport and Crawley, were brought into service.
Metrobus is planning on having more than 40 hydrogen-powered buses, in a partnership with West Sussex, Surrey and Kent county councils and Gatwick, in a £24million investment by the partners including a £10million grant from the Department for Transport.
When fully operational, it will be one of the biggest fleets of hydrogen-powered buses in the country, and the only one operating in rural areas.
Hydrogen-fuelled buses should play a significant role in a clean and sustainable energy future.
The hydrogen used in the buses can be produced from a carbon-neutral source such as waste, or from solar or wind power, providing the potential for carbon-neutral and emission-free energy.
Clean service: the new buses have zero emissions
The only emission from hydrogen-powered buses is water vapour – no carbon dioxide or other pollutants are released into the air.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles have a range similar to conventional diesel vehicles, achieving 350-400 miles on a single tank of fuel, and they can be refuelled in less than five minutes.
Nick Hill, Metrobus’s commercial director, said: “Our company’s contribution to this project is £11.6million, which we consider to be a critical investment in providing zero emission buses on the Metrobus network for our customers.
“Buses are one of the most sustainable ways to travel. Hydrogen buses release zero emissions at the tailpipe, helping to reduce carbon emissions and create cleaner air for everyone.
“This project is an excellent example of what can be achieved through partnership working by putting the transport needs of local people first.”
The 420 route runs from Sutton town centre, through Belmont and Banstead, to Tadworth and then on to Reigate and Redhill, serving East Surrey Hospital before going on to the airport and Crawley. Metrobus is planning to use other hydrogen-powered buses on routes that will serve Caterham, Dorking, Tunbridge Wells, Haywards Heath and Brighton.
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it is good to hear the metrobus is now spreading out into sutton with its hydrogen powered buses perhaps soon they will spread into croydon i noticed that the metrobus is spreading into many areas perhaps one day take over from the transport for london buses aviva
Can you find the answer to these questions?
Who supplies the H2 gas?
Is it having to be transported as a supercooled liquid from a French nuclear power station?
To prevent uncontrolled increase of pressure is H2 allowed to boil off in to the atmosphere and so wasted?
I understand that a company called Air Products will deliver the liquid hydrogen from its production plant in Rotterdam.
Liquid hydrogen is produced from natural gas using steam and then liquefied. Air Products is a global company and has been in the UK for 65 years. I don’t think any nuclear power stations are involved unless they contribute to the electricity supply. I am assured that the liquid hydrogen is not at all radio active or could be used in an atomic bomb.
So the hydrogen used is called Blue H2 and has so a carbon footprint as its source is methane. I was hoping it was Green H2 created from the electrolysis of water from spare electricity from a nuclear or a hydroelectric power station.
H2 is very difficult to contain efficiently as the molecule is so small it oozes through metal and as liquid H2 boils, it may have to be allowed to vent off.
Hydro? There’s only one hydro plant in England, so that doesn’t seem practical. We all know about hydrogen molecules but you have to accept that it works in buses just fine. Please don’t fear radioactive fuel – that’s a myth.