Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Buses Planned for 2010 Olympics
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08. 5.07
Following initial reports a few years back that Vancouver was planning on investing in a fleet of hydrogen-powered transit buses for the 2010 Olympics, we now have confirmation that the city of Whistler will become host to the world's largest fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell buses, just in time for the Games. Twenty zero-emissions buses will make up the Whistler bus system — a system that will serve as the northern terminus for a so-called "hydrogen highway" up North America's west coast.
Each bus will have 37 seats, a 60-person standing capacity and a top speed of 90 km per hour and — at an individual cost of $2.1 million — will cost about four times as much as a conventional diesel bus. The buses will be built by New Flyer Industries of Winnipeg, and their fuel cells will be provided by Burnaby's Ballard Power Systems. Two other subcontractors — Dynetek Industries of Calgary and ISE Corp. of San Diego — will work on their hydrogen storage system and hybrid drive system, respectively.
The first bus is expected to arrive in Victoria for 30 days of on-road testing in July 2008 with the remaining 19 projected to be delivered by December 2009. Whistler will likely also soon have its own hydrogen refuelling station, joining others in Victoria, Surrey and the University of British Columbia.
Despite the high cost — at the current price of hydrogen ($10 - $20 per kg), a day's fill-up could reach $1,200 — Whistler residents are confident they will continue receiving financial support from the government of British Columbia and are hopeful the technology will prove viable in the long-term. "Getting the technology over that initial hurdle is the hardest part. Whether it's widely adopted or not will be something the market will decide," said B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon.
Via ::CanWest News Service: Fuel-cell buses promised for 2010 Olympics (news website)
See also: ::Torino 2006 - the Other Hydrogen Olympics, ::How Green Will the London Olympics Be?
Image courtesy of kk+ via flickr
I am from the Vancouver/ Whistler, and I do agree that these buses are a good showcase and promote a greener way of transport. But the real concern to me is the future of hydrogen as an efficient means of portable fuel, not to mention the issue with fuel cells and colder climates. There are many problems with the production of hydrogen, as indicated above with cost, along with conversion efficiency and transport (which hydrogen should be made on site to forget this transport rubbish).
Ok so Vancouver doesn't get very cold in the winter (-5 and that is perhaps only for max one week of winter) but Whistler gets cold, it's a mountain community! But, hey the powers above could have a solution for that already, and I of course don't know about it.
If we really wanted to showcase green living why not produce more light rail electric trains. They are the cheapest to run and hardly ever have mechanical problems, downside... higher initial investment cost. If we were to have come out with hybrid hydrogen buses then I would have not posted this. These kinds of buses would have been something special, a real cats meow; regenerative braking is the way especially with stop and go public transit.
For a little bit of greener upbeat information, British Columbia (the province these olympics are going to be held) is ~85% renewable in it's energy production (and I know for a fact, through my own university research we could be 100% if we actually had some significant wind power, utilized a bit of our tidal and explored more geothermal). That stat also includes our dirty import power. So I guess the silver lining that I am trying to get across is that at least the hydrogen production will still be ~85% green al-be-it less efficient than it should be. Thanks for reading, and keep kickin' it green like Kermit.
This is awesome. I'm a big Olympics fan, and hearing them being more greener in the 2010 games sound cool.
It also has made Beijing focus on being more greener, not just for the sake of the Olympics, but because the city just wants and needs to be more cleaner/greener.
I'm hoping future Olympics promote cities to be green as possible. It will has a more positive outlook in the end.
Hydrogen buses are a great idea for cities because climate change isn't the only reason to want less desil and petrol engines in urban areas.
Having said that, i hope that the energy is sourced bought from renewable sources.
Geoff
Hydrogen from hydrolosis is relatively inneficient as you say. However, there is hope that with the development of catalysts lower energy ways to produce hydrogen will be made. The best way currently, is to use heat from large coal or nuclear plants to create the hydrogen. This is a highly efficient process.
Amory Lovins is keen on hydrogen and for me this means, it''s worth careful consideration. Link (PDF)
this is a pointless feelgood greenwash! Hydrogen is not a viable hydrocarbon alternative, because it never puts out more energy than it consumes creating it. It would be far better for there to be an electric/ supercapicitor/ trolley bus fleet, as i suspect these buses will end up getting powered by either fossil fuel derived hydrogen, rather than wastefully electrolysed hydrogen. PS I love the green movement, I love green technologies, and fuel cells are remarkable and potentially useful for specialised applications, but have NO outlook in being a useful energy source for usual private/mass transit applications. The naivety and ignorance of many greens infuriates me, because they hurt our cause!
Peter b...I'm not sure if you read my post but I had mentioned that BC is ~85% renewable and green energy and that proportion will be even higher when a bunch of new hydro/wind/biomass projects are built by 2009 (http://www.bchydro.com/info/ipp/ipp47608.html). The coal projects that were proposed and then accepted have withdrawn because of public opposition and legislation in the province (Insert Big Smiley Face here). So the majority of the H for the buses will be from renewable sources and not fossil fuels. Infact BC does not have any coal (or nuclear) power production, and if it were the new laws would require 100% sequestering of CO2.
I do think that if H would become nearly as close to electric efficiencies it would be a good alternative to fossil fuels, especially with catalyzer advancements, although I do doubt the H makers integrity and it's ability to be highly efficent. Rather I like H as a storage medium for off grid systems such as the race rocks ecological reserve station near Victoria (tidal current and solar power stored as H and utilized via a electrolyzer).
I am a huge advocate of electric propulsion whatever the method superconductor/battery/overhead line. And I feel that the electric car is the only way (especially with new batteries, i.e. Nanosafe lithium) for cars to be powers (Oh! there is also compressed air that I also like) but we all can't keep buying cars around the world; public/mass transit systems must and I stress the word must be developed to a much higher level and capacity than what it is today. Especially in North America where we are all car crazy.
As a resident of Northern BC, who will see absolutely no benefit from the Olympics, hydrogen buses, or any other government boondoggle, I'm thinking right about now is a good time to take my paycheque and toss it down the mouth of the nearest volcano. Repeat until I die.
I'm hoping future Olympics promote cities to be green as possible. It will has a more positive outlook in the end
The hydrogen for these vehicles will be driven by (deisel?) trucks from quebec - 3 trailers a week.
Until there is wide spread hydrogen production this is a logistical nightmare! Turning water into fuel is kinda stupid, and why no big bussiness push to solar and other "free" energy sources? - cuz they like a continuing market! Energy baron are some of the evilest bastards going!