The first city in Poland with a hydrogen bus!

Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen found its first customer in Poland. The city that will become a pioneer in the use of hydrogen energy in urban transport is Konin. The contract, signed on July 7, provides for the lease of the vehicle for a period of 4 years. Solaris will deliver a hydrogen-powered vehicle to Konin in 2022. It is in Konin that, by the end of 2021, the first public hydrogen refuelling station in Poland will be built.

“We are witnessing an extraordinary moment. Not so long ago, our company introduced the first electric buses to the Polish market, but today we sign the first contract for the delivery of a hydrogen-powered bus to Konin. We have declared more than once that we are a precursor of changes in public transport in Poland — and this is a perfect confirmation of this. Hydrogen has a chance to become one of the pillars of the transformation of public transport in Poland and all over Europe”, said Javier Calleja, President of the Management Board of Solaris Bus & Coach.

“The modernisation of the bus fleet of the Municipal Transport Company in Konin is one of my program priorities. When announcing its modernisation, I was thinking mainly about hybrid and electric buses. The fact that today we are signing a contract for the lease of the Solaris hydrogen bus is a source of pride and great joy for me. Cutting-edge solutions in the field of public transport in the world will go to Konin. I believe that this is just the beginning”, said the Mayor of Konin, Piotr Korytkowski.

Among the main advantages of a hydrogen bus, it is worth mentioning the short time of refuelling the vehicle, a very long range and a zero-emission, quiet and city-friendly operation mode. Hydrogen is an absolutely clean source of energy. The only by-products of the chemical reaction that takes place in the hydrogen cell are heat and water vapour. Hydrogen will be stored in gaseous form in tanks located on the roof. The ordered bus will also be equipped with an additional electricity storage — a Solaris High Power battery.

The premiere of the Urbino 12 hydrogen bus in 2019 naturally complemented the manufacturer’s emission-free offer. Electric buses, including Urbino 15 LE electric, designed for intercity transport, trolleybuses and hydrogen buses allow us to offer carriers from all over Europe products tailored to individual needs.

It is worth noting that at the end of January this year, a series of presentations of the Solaris hydrogen bus took place in several Polish cities. The vehicle was then delivered to Konin, where the invited representatives of city authorities and transport companies could see the advantages of this highly technologically advanced vehicle. The representatives of public transport companies in Jaworzno, Kraków and Poznań also expressed their interest in the hydrogen bus.

With the delivery to Konin, Poland will join the elite group of countries that have benefited from Solaris’ hydrogen offer. These include: Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Italy, which have so far ordered more than 80 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses.

In the photo (from the left): Dariusz Michalak, Phd Eng. (Member of the Board of Solaris Bus & Coach), Piotr Korytkowski (Mayor of Konin), Magdalena Przybyła (CEO of MZK Konin).

Source: SOLARIS