Polish bus manufacturer Solaris has won a tender to supply five hydrogen-powered Urbino 12 hydrogen buses to Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the island of Mallorca. The contract is worth about €4 million.
Municipal transport company EMT-Palma will purchase the “abolutely zero-emission” vehicles through the “Green Hyslan” project. Under the EU funded programme, the Spanish island is to become a European benchmark for zero-emission energy.
Petros Spinaris, Solaris board member for sales said, “Interest in hydrogen technology is steadily growing and the decision of the authorities of Palma de Mallorca to purchase Urbino 12 hydrogen buses is a perfect example of this.”
The Urbino 12 hydrogen bus produces no local emissions, water is the sole by-product of the chemical reaction that takes place in the hydrogen fuel cell. It offers a range of up to 350 km and says Solaris refuelling takes only a few minutes. This makes the bus very easy to manage and provides flexibility for local transport operators. The bus also offers a smoother and quieter ride compared to diesel vehicles.
Solaris’ hydrogen buses are currently in operation on the streets of Bolzano in Italy, Cologne and Wuppertal in Germany and in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. Now these places will be joined by the over 800,000-strong city of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of one of the most famous tourist islands in Europe.
