Polish region seeks hydrogen supplier for fuel cell buses

The government of Poland's Metropolia GZM, a region in the southern Silesia province, called a tender on Tuesday for the supply of 1,435 tonnes of hydrogen for its future fleet of fuel cell buses.

The volume is to be provided to municipal transport companies in the cities of Katowice, Tychy and Swierklaniec for a period of five years from the date of delivery of the ordered buses in the first half of 2024. The contract may be increased by 880 tonnes for an additional period of three years.

Do you know we have a daily hydrogen newsletter? Subscribe here for free!

Currently, Metropolia is holding a tender for the purchase of 20 hydrogen-powered buses with an option of adding another 10 vehicles.

The procurement is part of the metropolis' initiative to promote hydrogen as fuel in its zero-emission public transport strategy. The total cost of the project is over PLN 110 million (USD 25m/EUR 23.4m), of which PLN 81 million will come as a subsidy granted by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

Compared with electric buses, hydrogen-powered buses can cover longer routes on a single charge and do not need an extensive network of refuelling stations, Metropolia GZM noted.

The transport companies in Tychy and Swierklaniec will have to build their own fuelling stations. Recently, they signed a co-financing agreement with the national eco-fund for PLN 10 million. For Katowice, the future supplier is to provide its own facilities.

Metropolia GZM is a metropolitan unit composed of 41 municipalities. The seat of its council is Katowice, the largest city in the region and the capital of the Silesian province.

(PLN 10 = USD 2.27/EUR 2.13)