Passengers in the Hoeksche Waard – Goeree-Overflakkee region may board one of the 20 new hydrogen-powered buses that Transdev subsidiary, Connexxion is deploying in early 2022. The filling station at the bus depot in Heinenoord will then supply the vehicles with hydrogen.
The province of South Holland, the Hoeksche Waard municipality, the hydrogen supplier Everfuel and Transdev subsidiary, Connexxion are working together to build one of the largest hydrogen filling stations in Europe in Heinenoord, the Netherlands. On Friday 1 October, Deputy Frederik Zevenbergen (Province of South Holland), Alderman Piet van Leenen (Hoeksche Waard Municipality) and Ben Dwars (Connexxion Concession Director) kicked off construction of the hydrogen filling station in Heinenoord with a shovel.
In the Hoeksche Waard – Goeree-Overflakkee region, Connexxion has been operating four hydrogen-powered buses since June 2020. At the beginning of 2022, a further 20 new Solaris hydrogen buses of the Urbino 12 Hydrogen type will be added. The new hydrogen filling station at the bus depot in Heinenoord will soon supply these vehicles with hydrogen. Initially, only Connexxion buses will refuel at the hydrogen filling station. Thanks to its scalable design, the station can also be used in the future by other heavy transportation vehicles such as trucks. This does not yet apply to passenger cars, because the refueling pressure is different.
With the hydrogen filling station and the hydrogen buses, we are taking a big step towards cleaner transport and cleaner air. The new hydrogen buses will be able to fill up with green hydrogen in Heinenoord in early 2022. This gives a big boost to the green hydrogen economy in South Holland
Frederik Zevenbergen, Deputy of the Province of South Holland stated
European funding
The 20 Solaris hydrogen buses and the hydrogen filling station are being financed, in addition to the subsidy from the Province of Zuid-Holland, by European subsidies from the JIVE2 and Mehrlin projects and a national subsidy from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
Green hydrogen
The supply of completely green hydrogen was a requirement of the province. The hydrogen is produced by Everfuel in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany and eventually transported by completely emission-free trucks. At the start of the project this will still be done with vehicles that run on fossil-free diesel with a high CO2 reduction.
Good cooperation
For the realization of this hydrogen filling station, the Province of South Holland is working intensively with various partners. The municipality of Hoeksche Waard for the licensing. Everfuel as operator of the hydrogen filling station and supplier of green hydrogen. And Connexxion for the equipment and training of the bus drivers.
Sustainable public transportation
Because we value the health of passengers and residents and are working towards a better climate, we want clean(er) modes of transportation. We have therefore agreed that by 2030 all public transportation in South-Holland must be free of harmful emissions.
To achieve this sustainable ambition, we are focusing on electric buses, sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, electric and hybrid water buses, and good cycling facilities to and from public transportation stops. In public transportation concessions, we are giving transit operators binding guidelines for this and we are encouraging the transition to cleaner and more sustainable public transportation.