Ballard Power Systems announced it is a founding member of the new hydrogen fuel-cell electric bus (FCEB) consortium, H2Bus, whose members are working together to deploy 1,000 zero-emission FCEBs and related infrastructure in European cities at affordable rates.

An initial 600 FCEBs are being supported by a $45 million grant from the EU's Connecting European Facilities (CEF1) program, with 200 buses to be deployed in each of Denmark, Latvia and the UK by 2023.

In addition to Ballard, H2Bus consortium members include Everfuel, Wrightbus, Hexagon Composites, Nel Hydrogen, and Ryse Hydrogen, all leading players in the hydrogen fuel cell electric bus value chain. The H2Bus hydrogen fuel cell electric bus solution is expected to be the most cost-effective true zero-emission option available, with a target single-decker bus price below $422,000, hydrogen cost between $6 and $7 per pound and bus service cost of 34 cents per kilometer. The zero-tailpipe emission feature of the FCEBs' operation will be complemented by zero-emission hydrogen production from renewable energy sources, yielding a "well-to-wheels" emission-free transportation solution.

"The H2Bus consortium is a very exciting development in the deployment of zero-emission fuel cell electric buses across Europe," said Randy MacEwen, Ballard president/CEO. "Together with the JIVE funding program, which targets the deployment of 291 FCEBs, we can expect to see approximately 1,300 European fuel cell transit buses in operation in the foreseeable future."

Wrightbus will integrate Ballard's 8th-generation heavy duty power module – called FCmove – into H2Bus Consortium buses. FCmove products will be officially launched at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit, taking place June 9-12 in Stockholm, Sweden. FCmove products will deliver the performance and reduced total lifecycle cost required to meet the ambitious targets of the H2Bus Consortium and deliver an attractive economic value proposition to bus operators.