The first two hydrogen buses were ready for duty in Reykjavik on Sunday. The energy supply for the buses is based on hydrogen technology from Norsk Hydro.
The buses were officially launched by the Minister of Industry and Trade Valgerður Sverrisdóttir outside the Reykjavik city hall. Together with Prime Minister David Oddsson, and representatives from the owners and from the press, she then took the first ride on a hydrogen bus in the Icelandic capital.
In ordinary traffic
The keys to the buses were first handed over by the supplier DaimlerChrysler to Icelandic New Energy, in which Hydro has a 16.3 percent interest. This company then presented the keys to the bus company Strætó, which will run the buses on normal routes. The third hydrogen bus will be delivered in a few weeks.
- Around 1500 people took a ride on the new hydrogen buses on Sunday, says logistics manager Hallgeir Øya in Norsk Hydro Electrolysers, which has provided hydrogen technology to one of Reykjavik's filling stations.
Fuel cells
The hydrogen buses run on fuel cells that are refilled at a Shell station in Reykjavik, where hydrogen is produced by an electrolyser from Hydro Electrolysers.
The operation of the hydrogen station is part of an ECTOS project supported by the EU, which is studying the socioeconomic and environmental significance of using an alternative energy source in Iceland.