Growing hydrogen in sustainable mobility

This is an important landing, which shows how this carrier can be used practically anywhere, even in areas without land connections.

The first hydrogen-powered buses will make their debut in the Cagliari metropolitan area, which is undergoing a profound transformation in the name of sustainability, aiming to become a model of clean mobility for the entire region. At the heart of this change is CTM's plan to invest EUR 150 million to convert the entire fleet to a zero-emission system. It is not just a matter of adding electric vehicles, whose criticality in Sardinia today is the presence of two coal-fired power plants, but of creating a real energy mix where green hydrogen plays a leading role alongside battery buses and trolleybuses.

The vehicles chosen for this transition are Solaris Urbino 12 Hydrogen vehicles, which are to all intents and purposes electric but use a fuel cell system to power a small service battery that is useful for operation. Combining hydrogen with oxygen from the air, the result of this reaction is the energy needed to move the vehicle, while only simple water vapour escapes from the exhaust. It is a way of travelling that is kind to the environment but does not sacrifice practicality. In fact, unlike purely electric vehicles that require long stops for recharging, the hydrogen bus can be refuelled in just 10 minutes, a time quite similar to that of the old diesel vehicles, allowing it to be back in service immediately on city streets as well as on out-of-town routes. In fact, the real strength of the hydrogen is in its extraordinary autonomy, allowing it to travel between 350 and 500 kilometres on a single tank. The bus is equipped with a 360° 'birdview' system and technologies that protect pedestrians and cyclists, making the journey not only environmentally friendly, but also more serene for drivers and city dwellers.

"By September we will reach 236 electric buses in service. Once the five recharging sites strategically distributed throughout the territory are completed, CTM will have a fully sustainable and green public transport system, integrated and ready to respond to the daily needs of citizens,' explains Fabrizio Rodin, President of CTM spa. 'The hydrogen buses we are presenting today are the first in Sardinia. We approach them with great interest and we will make our evaluations with the seriousness that an innovation of this type requires, because we are convinced that the use of multiple forms of fuel represents an added value not only for the public transport system, but above all for the environment and for the health of those who live and move around in our territories."