![](https://investorshub.advfn.com/uicon/509452.png?cb=1489404229)
Wednesday, January 12, 2022 10:31:16 AM
A two-year-old project to run 51 hydrogen buses in the French city of Montpelier and its environs has been cancelled for being too expensive after elected officials realised that electric buses would be six times cheaper to run.
12 January 2022 11:53 GMT, UPDATED 12 January 2022 12:08 GMT
By Leigh Collins
https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/french-city-cancels-purchase-of-51-hydrogen-buses-after-realising-electric-ones-would-be-six-times-cheaper-to-run/2-1-1143717
The €29m Montpellier Horizon Hydrogen project — which included the construction of a small solar-powered green-hydrogen plant — had been announced by EDF subsidiary Hynamics in December 2019.
Since then, it has been awarded €18m of funding, including €6.9m of grants from regional, national and European funds — with the most recent coming from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility less than a month ago — and €8.9m of investment and loans from the French sovereign fund Caisse des Dépôts.
But Michaël Delafosse, the mayor of the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (an administrative region centred on the city of Montpellier), who was elected in June 2020, last week decided to cancel the project on the grounds of cost.
“Hydrogen technology is promising,” he told a meeting on 4 January. “But we were helped on the investment, not on the operation. However, it would be six times more expensive than with electric buses. So, for the moment, we are giving up on hydrogen buses; we will see in 2030 if hydrogen is cheaper.”
Julie Frêche, the vice-president of the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, who is in charge of transport, told the French business newspaper La Tribune that the operation of the hydrogen buses would cost €3m per year, compared to €500,000 with electric ones — or €0.95 per km versus €0.15.
She added that hydrogen buses were €150,000-200,000 more expensive to buy than their electric counterparts.
Hynamics — which was co-developing the project with the métropole — declined to comment, saying that it was in ongoing talks with Montpellier officials.
Green hydrogen is an inherently inefficient and expensive solution for road transport as it requires renewable electricity for electrolysis to create the H2, more power to compress the gas, which needs to be stored in large tanks, an expensive filling station is required to pump the stored hydrogen into a vehicle, where a fuel cell converts the H2 back into electricity.
It is much more efficient and cheaper to pump the renewable electricity directly into a vehicle battery.
Hydrogen advocates argue that fuel-cell electric vehicles are less heavy than battery-powered ones, can be charged more quickly and can run for more kilometres on a single charge.
China is currently the world leader in electric buses, with more than 500,000 on the country's roads.
Recent PLUG News
- Plug Secures 25 MW PEM Electrolyzer Deal for Major European Customer • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 06/21/2024 11:00:45 AM
- Plug Receives Industry Certification for its High-Powered Stationary System • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 06/20/2024 01:20:41 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 08:34:17 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 08:33:01 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 08:32:32 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 08:31:53 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 08:31:01 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 08:30:33 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/07/2024 01:00:18 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/05/2024 01:00:29 PM
- Plug to Webcast Annual Shareholder Meeting on June 5, 2024 • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/30/2024 09:55:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/24/2024 08:40:29 PM
- Form 424B7 - Prospectus [Rule 424(b)(7)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/24/2024 08:02:55 PM
- Plug, Airbus, Delta, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Study Feasibility of Hydrogen Hub at World’s Busiest Airport • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/21/2024 03:31:00 PM
- Shareholders that lost money on Plug Power Inc.(PLUG) should contact The Gross Law Firm about pending Class Action - PLUG • PR Newswire (US) • 05/21/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Plug Signs 3 GW BEDP Contract with Allied Green Ammonia for Electrolyzer Project in Australia • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/16/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Plug to Revolutionize Middle-Mile Delivery with Class 6 Fuel Cell Electric Truck Integration • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/15/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/14/2024 12:06:42 PM
- Plug Receives $1.66 Billion Conditional Commitment Loan Guarantee From Department of Energy for Green Hydrogen Development Pipeline • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/14/2024 12:00:00 PM
- Investors who lost money on Plug Power Inc.(PLUG) should contact The Gross Law Firm about pending Class Action - PLUG • PR Newswire (US) • 05/14/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/13/2024 08:34:02 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/13/2024 08:33:19 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/13/2024 08:30:53 PM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/09/2024 08:02:15 PM
- U.S. Index Futures Dip, Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 5.25% • IH Market News • 05/09/2024 11:47:20 AM
Green Leaf Innovations, Inc. Expands International Presence with New Partnership in Dubai • GRLF • Jun 24, 2024 8:30 AM
Bemax Inc. Positions to Capitalize on Industry Growth with New Improved Quality of Mother's Touch® Disposable Diapers • BMXC • Jun 24, 2024 8:00 AM
Last Shot Hydration Drink Announced as Official Sponsor of Red River Athletic Conference • EQLB • Jun 20, 2024 2:38 PM
ATWEC Announces Major Acquisition and Lays Out Strategic Growth Plans • ATWT • Jun 20, 2024 7:09 AM
North Bay Resources Announces Composite Assays of 0.53 and 0.44 Troy Ounces per Ton Gold in Trenches B + C at Fran Gold, British Columbia • NBRI • Jun 18, 2024 9:18 AM
VAYK Assembling New Management Team for $64 Billion Domestic Market • VAYK • Jun 18, 2024 9:00 AM