Ballard to supply Fuel Cell Modules for Solaris buses

Ballard Power Systems announced a purchase order from Solaris Bus & Coach S.A., a leading European bus and trolleybus manufacturer and Ballard partner headquartered in Bolechowo, Poland, for 12 FCmove-HD fuel cell modules to power 12 buses to be deployed with SASA Bolzano, the public transport operator in Bolzano, Italy under the Joint Initiative For Hydrogen Vehicles Across Europe (“JIVE”) funding programme.

The Urbino 12 hydrogen model fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) - capable of traveling 350 kilometres on a single hydrogen refueling - was unveiled by Solaris at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2019, held in June in Stockholm, Sweden. The bus incorporates an axle with two electric motors and is equipped with a climate control system utilising heat generated by the fuel cell module. The 12 FCmove-HD modules - a product that was launched by Ballard at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2019 in June - are expected to ship in 2020 and the buses are expected to be deployed with SAS Bolzano by 2021.

“We have collaborated with Solaris for a number of years and are very pleased to now provide our latest generation fuel cell power modules for the Bolzano deployment,” said Rob Campbell, Ballard Chief Commercial Officer. “This now brings the total number of Ballard fuel cell modules ordered for buses under the European JIVE program to 92, with deployments planned in Germany, France, the UK - including both England and Scotland - and now Italy.”

Benefits of Ballard's new FCmove-HD compared to the current generation heavy-duty fuel cell module include lower lifecycle cost, high reliability, simplified system integration, freeze start capability and higher temperature operation.