Be among the first in Estonia to ride a hydrogen bus in Tartu
Tartu City Government Press Release
/ From 29–30 September, Tartu will be the first city in Estonia offering the option to ride a hydrogen bus, serving passengers on urban line No. 25. This is a free test by a demonstration bus, aimed at introducing the townspeople to possible new future solutions in urban transport.
The hydrogen bus will follow the normal itinerary of urban line No. 25, Railway Station-Bus Station-ERM, following the regular schedule. Riding the hydrogen bus will be free for everyone during the test period (29–30 September).
According to Tartu Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm, the aim is to keep Tartu’s public transport as environmentally friendly as possible, and therefore various innovative solutions are being tested that will allow us to continue moving at a steady pace in the desired direction. “Tartu is one of the few cities in Europe where the entire public transport system has been switched over to renewable fuel. In the future perspective, green hydrogen is a very clean local fuel which, when used as a bus fuel, emits clean water. According to the current contract, buses running on biogas will serve urban lines in Tartu until June 2029. It is too early to say what kind of fuel will be used in buses after that, but hydrogen is one of the possible directions for the future,” Tamm added.
According to Ramses Riive, South-Estonia Regional Manager of Go Bus, which serves Tartu’s urban lines, the event is historic across all public transport in Estonia, because a hydrogen bus has never driven on Estonian roads and served passengers before. “Testing a hydrogen-powered bus is a great example of the transport sector heading towards a greener future. Behind this important step is the joint effort and serious preparatory work of all cooperation partners. We invite everyone to feel free to explore and experience the first H2 bus ride on Tartu’s urban lines, after which we will pass the test drive baton to the Tallinn Transport Department for the next three days,” said Ramses Riive.
Elme Messer Gaas – producer of industrial gasses and contributor to the project – agrees that hydrogen has a great future. ‘The demonstration rides offered in Estonian cities by the CaetanoBus hydrogen-powered bus show us that the use of green hydrogen technology in public transport requires a comprehensive solution, from the production of green hydrogen to the creation of the corresponding infrastructure. All of this – including logistics, storage and refuelling solutions – can be organised by our company,’ explained Eduard Virkunen, Chief Executive Officer of Elme Messer Gas.
The hydrogen bus will be running in Tartu under the leadership of the Estonian Hydrogen Technology Association within the framework of the JIVE 2 project. The introduction of the hydrogen bus in Tartu is part of a major tour through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. After Tartu, the bus will head to Tallinn to provide demonstration rides and will operate there from 2–6 October. The JIVE 2 project organises demonstration hydrogen bus rides in central and eastern European countries to showcase the possibilities of introducing the adoption of hydrogen technology in interested cities.
The JIVE and JIVE2 projects have received funding from the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking under Grant Agreements No 735582 and 779563. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe, and Hydrogen Europe Research.
About the JIVE and JIVE 2 projects: The JIVE and JIVE2 projects, which started in January 2017 and January 2018, will deploy 310 zero-emission fuel cell buses and associated infrastructure (under the MEHRLIN project) in 17 European cities and regions by the early 2020s – the largest deployment in Europe to date. The buses will be deployed in cities and regions in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Last changed 17.10.2023
