If you’ve noticed that some buses you’ve been catching throughout Sydney have been pretty quiet, you’re not wrong. Over the past few years, Transport for NSW have begun transitioning the state’s fleet of 8,000 diesel and gas buses on the public transport network to zero emissions technology. The transition – which aims to see all Sydney buses powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels by 2035 – involves introducing these new buses onto Sydney roads, and also trialling new technology like hydrogen buses in other parts of the state.
After a successful trial on the Central Coast, which saw a hydrogen bus outperform diesel vehicles, the state’s newest hydrogen bus recently entered service in the Illawarra, where for at least six months it will work its way along the Gong Shuttle loop in Wollongong. Once the initial six-month trial is up, data collected will be used to inform Transport for NSW’s use of hydrogen technology across the state.
“This hydrogen bus trial will give passengers a unique opportunity to experience a greener, quieter, and more comfortable journey on the loop between Wollongong station and the university,” says Minister for Transport Jo Haylen.
The bus can cover 515 kilometres on just 32kg of hydrogen – a journey that would see a diesel-powered bus consume 170 litres of fuel. Green hydrogen power is a renewable energy source produced through the process of electrolysis, which derives hydrogen and oxygen from water. The hydrogen used to power the new hydrogen bus has been described by Member for Wollongong Paul Scully as “a cleaner, greener industrial fuel source in the future”.
Currently, Sydney’s streets are home to more 200 than electric-powered buses – part of Transport for NSW’s Zero Emissions Buses plan, which aims to achieve a 50 per cent carbon reduction by 2030 and Net Zero emissions by 2050.
You can learn more about Transport for NSW’s Zero Emissions Buses plan over here.