The Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen has found its first user in Poland. The city pioneering the step towards hydrogen energy in public transport is none other than Konin. The contract signed on 7 July assumes the lease of the unit in question for four years. Solaris will supply the hydrogen-powered vehicle to Konin in 2022. It is there, in Konin, that the first generally accessible hydrogen refilling station in Poland will be set up, by the end of 2021.
“We are witnessing an extraordinary moment. It is not that long ago that our company launched the first electric buses on the Polish market; and now we are signing the first contract for the supply of hydrogen-fuelled buses to Konin. We have declared on many occasions that we are pioneers of the transformation in public transport in Poland, and today’s event is a testament to that declaration. Hydrogen has a strong chance of becoming a backbone of the transformation of public transport transformation in Poland and across Europe,” asserted Javier Calleja, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach.
“The modernisation of the bus fleet of operator Miejski Zakład Komunikacji in Konin is one of my policy priorities. What I had mind when I announced the fleet modernisation were mostly hybrid and electric buses. (…)” remarked Konin Mayor Piotr Korytkowski.
The main advantages of a hydrogen bus include in particular the short refilling time, the wide driving range as well as the zero-emission, noise-free and city resident-friendly operation of the vehicle. Hydrogen is an absolutely clean energy source. The sole by-products of the chemical reaction taking place in the hydrogen fuel cell are heat and steam. The hydrogen will be stored in gaseous form, in roof-stacked tanks. The commissioned bus will also feature an additional electric energy storage device – a Solaris High Power battery.