(Rochester, NY / USA) – Australia's Fortescue Metals Group, one of the world's largest iron ore producers, has commissioned Hyzon Motors Inc. to supply ten hydrogen-powered buses. These are specifically designed for use in the Christmas Creek mining center, Western Australia, where summer temperatures often exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
According to Hyzon, the prototype has now completed a test run of 15.000 kilometers in the harsh, remote Pilbara region. This corresponds to the “equivalent of a trip from New York to Miami that is made more than seven times in a row.”
800 kilometers with one tank
The endurance test demonstrates the reliability of the fuel cells, which are repeatedly discharged and recharged under harsh conditions. According to the information, the Hyzon vehicles will be “the first hydrogen-powered bus fleet in the world”. The range with one tank of fuel is 800 kilometers.
The buses are intended to transport workers in remote mining areas and replace diesel vehicles previously used. Fortescue aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. The company's vehicle fleet currently consumes around 400 to 450 million liters of diesel per year, said Fortescue's deputy CEO.
“Our buses can handle the rough terrain,” said Hyzon managing director Craig Knight. Here too, hydrogen technology “represents a real alternative to conventional commercial mobility”. After completing the tests, the company expects delivery of the buses to be on schedule.
The companies concluded the contract last summer. This also includes setting up a refueling infrastructure. According to Bloomberg, the order volume is 32 million Australian dollars (20,3 million euros). The vehicles will initially be produced in a factory in the Netherlands, but Hyzon plans to have additional buses manufactured in Australia.
Market for hydrogen coaches has potential
According to the information, the global volume for coaches amounts to over 87,5 billion US dollars (73,3 billion euros). There are around 2.000 in Australia. However, the market for the hydrogen-powered variant is currently not that big. At the beginning of 2020, according to a survey by the US analyst firm BloombergNEF, there were around 4.200 fuel cell buses worldwide. However, it is expected that “fuel cell vehicles will make up 2050 percent of bus fleets and even 30 percent of heavy vehicle fleets globally by 75,” with growth being driven primarily by China and the European Union.
Hyzon sees itself in direct competition with Nikola Corp. The US carmaker from Phoenix, Arizona, announced last year that it would begin producing hydrogen-powered semi-trailers and other commercial vehicles in 2023. According to “Bloomberg”, Hyzon wants to be on the market with heavy hydrogen vehicles from series production before Nikola.
Hyzon emerged from the Singapore-based fuel cell company Horizon Fuel Cell. The company has offices in Europe, Singapore, Australia and Asia.
Photos
Fortescue wants to retire ten diesel-powered buses and replace them with hydrogen-powered vehicles. / © Hyzon
