City of Arnhem invests in hydrogen
Arnhem’s Mayor and Aldermen, the Cool region Arnhem Nijmegen and the Province of Gelderland will invest € 2.200.000 in the Gelderland Hydrogen Enterprise Trust (Stichting Waterstof Onderneming Gelderland). The trust is supporting the first hydrogen-powered bus, three cars and a rally car and the first commercial hydrogen fuel station.
In the second phase another three hydrogen fuel cell buses will be built. The buses will be deployed on a trial basis on line 20. Arnhem City Council expects fuel cells and hydrogen-powered buses to come into service in the 2010 to 2014 period.
The new generation ‘Made in Gelderland Hydrogen Bus’ will employ a fuel cell from the Arnhem-based company NedStack and electric wheel hub motors from E-traction in Apeldoorn.
The motors are able to recover energy when braking, which can be used again later to drive the bus. HAN University of Applied Sciences is involved in the project and the carrier Connexxion will conduct the practical trial.
If the project catches on and is also able to attract customers outside the region, the organisation has estimated that the project could generate dozens to hundreds of jobs.
The plan also includes a commercial hydrogen filling station.
The Arnhem company HyGear has developed technology for the efficient on site production of hydrogen and will supply the equipment for it.
In the longer term Arnhem will be involved in plans for a Hydrogen Highway at European level between the Randstad (major conurbation in the west of the Netherlands) and the Ruhr area. It will then be possible to fill up with hydrogen in the capital of Gelderland, the hydrogen and fuel cell city of Arnhem.
