Ministry of Higher Education

Kabul University
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Graduate Program

Presentation Topic: Prospects and impediments for hydrogen fuel cell

buses
A. Ajanovic* , A. Glatt, R. Haas Energy Economics Group, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria

Reviewed and summarized by: Eng. Abbas Ali Afzali

Instructor: Habiburahman Shirani PhD
Year: Nov 2023
 Abstacle
• Around the world, there are a rising number of fuel cell bus demonstration
projects.
• This research aims to analyze fuel cell bus possibilities and barriers with an
emphasis on their technical, environmental, economic performance, as well as
environmental impact.
• results show that the prices of fuel cell buses, although decreasing over time, are
still about 40% higher than those of diesel buses.
• better integration of renewable energy sources in the transport system, interest
in hydrogen is rising
• fuel cell buses has the potential to save about 93% of CO2 emissions in
comparison to diesel buses
 introduction
• There is a constant need to reduce emissions and pollution because of the
transportation sector's growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the city's
rapid urbanization.
• Reducing the amount of noise and fossil fuel consumption, which has serious
health risks, is crucial to improving the quality of life in urban areas.
• With 63% of fleets made up of buses, which are the most common mode, 68%
of the fleets are standard 12-meter buses with different passenger capacities.
• Diesel buses currently make up 50% of all bus fleets, with 22% using diesel
combined with biodiesel or additives, while 18% of all buses are electric
 Introduction...........continou
• Limited literature exists on (BEBs and FCBs), passenger cars with interest in
hydrogen-powered buses increasing since the beginning of the century, as
demonstrated by Santarelli et al,… In 2010, Bonilla and Merino conducted
economic assessment
• various European countries, such as Austria, some of the bus fleet operators are
planning to replace old diesel buses with FCBs
• This paper analyzes the prospects and barriers for hydrogen fuel cell buses,
focusing on their economic, technical, and environmental impact.
• It calculates total transport costs per kilometer driven, conducts sensitivity
analysis, and develops future scenarios based on technological learning. The paper
focuses on hybrid fuel cell buses, focusing on their current configuration.
• The results are divided into three categories: documentation of the state of the
art, economic assessment, and environmental assessment.
 2. Hydrogen and fuel cell buses: state of
theis aart
• Hydrogen secondary energy carrier, produced from various primary sources.
• Steam reforming of natural gas is the most commonly used technology, producing about 10 kg
of CO2 per energy kilogram of hydrogen.
• Electrolysis of water is of special interest for future applications. Increasing renewable energy
sources (RES) could benefit electricity balancing and offer higher emission savings.
• Fuel cells, when combined with hydrogen, offer superior energy efficiency and significant
emission reduction in the transport sector.
• They significantly eliminate particulates and Sulphur oxides associated with conventional
internal combustion engines (ICE). If hydrogen is produced from renewable sources, fuel cell
vehicles are promising zero-emission automotive technologies.
• Hydrogen and fuel cells are becoming a suitable alternative to conventional and battery electric
vehicles, particularly buses, due to their long driving range, low emissions, and environmental
benefits. Urban authorities often provide subsidies and support for FCB demonstrations.
• EU policies support FCB use, with interest increasing due to diesel vehicle bans and zero
emission zones in urban areas, including Norway, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia.
 2. Hydrogen and fuel cell buses: state of
the art
• For buses, hydrogen fuel cells (FCBs) provide an emission free mobility option,
especially on rough roads. Because of their extended range, operators can be
more productive and flexible.
• Because of their long driving range and quick refueling times, FCBs can be refuele
d at depots.
• The first FCB was developed in 1993 by Ballard and
the number is increasing
• over 2000 fuel cell vehicles (FCBs) have been on roads
worldwide, with China being the majority. This rapid growth
is largely due to Chinese government policies, with ambitious
targets for 2030 and 2050 for fuel cell vehicle deployment
 2. Hydrogen and fuel cell buses: state of
the buses
• Hydrogen art come in three main configurations: or
internal combustion engine buses,
 fuel cell buses
 hybrid fuel cell buses
• The (ICE) bus works similarly to a diesel
bus but has evolved to a series hybrid
configuration. Currently, the most common
configuration is hybrid design with battery,
where the fuel cell acts as a range extender,
recharging the battery during the drive cycle.
 2.1. Survey on case studies

• In order to promote the investigation and creation of substitute bus options, the
EU has provided funding for fuel cell bus (FCB) demonstration projects.
• Due to lower investment costs and better energy efficiency, there are now
more FCBs and hydrogen refueling stations than there were previously.
• The goal of H2BUS EUROPE is to bring down the cost of hydrogen to between 5
and 7 V per kilogram.
• More manufacturers are encouraged to enter the FCB industry by this support.
 3.Methods _____ 3.1. Economic
assessment
• The study calculates the total costs of use (TCU) of electric buses (FCBs) in Austria compared to
diesel and battery electric buses.
• It also conducts sensitivity analyses to understand the impact of different parameters on total
costs.

• The total costs of mobility are based on investment costs, driven distance per year,
energy costs, and other operating and maintenance costs. The capital recovery
factor is calculated based on discount rates and energy costs. Major bus
characteristics are taken from literature.
 3.2. Environmental assessment
• The study discusses the environmental benefits of replacing diesel buses with
fuel cell buses (FCBs) due to their zero emissions at the point of use, noise
reduction, and significant contribution to CO2 emission reduction.
• The study differentiates between grey and green hydrogen, highlighting the
difference in CO2 emission factors.
• Grey hydrogen is produced by a central steam methane reformer, stored in gas
bottle bundles, and transported to a hydrogen refueling station, while green
hydrogen is produced in an electrolyze using renewable energy sources.
 3.2. Environmental
assessment………….continue
• The CO2 emission factor for BEBs depends on the electricity mix, with the
average EU-28 electricity mix ranging between fossil and renewable energy
sources.
• The study also examines CO2 emission
over the lifespan of buses, focusing on
Well-to-Wheels (WTW) emissions analyses,
which differ from Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
as it does not consider energy and
emissions in building facilities or vehicles.
 4- Result ……………4.1. Economic
assessment
• This study focuses on the economic and environmental aspects of the adoption of
electric buses (FCBs) in Austria.
• The study calculates the total mobility
Costs of FCBs compared to diesel and battery
electric buses, showing that their investment
costs are far from competitive with diesel
buses and battery electric buses.
• Additionally, FCBs have high fuel costs
due to high hydrogen prices.
• The study also conducts sensitivity analysis to estimate the impact of different
parameters on the total costs of bus use per km driven, such as distance driven,
hydrogen price, and bus lifetime.
 4.1. Economic assessment…..continou
• The literature on bus kilometres driven per year varies widely, with some studies
calculating up to 72,000 km per year, while others report up to 250 km per day.
• A sensitivity analysis was conducted with 90,000 km per year.
• As the number of km driven increases, the cost difference between buses
decreases, especially between diesel and battery-electric buses (BEBs).
• A lifetime reduction from 14 years to 8 years is particularly unfavorable for FCBs
and BEBs.
• Lower hydrogen prices have moderate impacts on the total cost of FCBs,
primarily dominated by capital cost.
• To reach market competitiveness, reducing investment costs is essential. Future
costs are also analyzed up to 2050, with the assumption that technological
learning could lower investment costs for FCBs and BEBs.
Result…………4.2. Environmental
assessment
• Although the economic analysis shows clearly that currently FCBs are
not competitive with conventional diesel buses as well as with BEBs,
they have some environmental advantages, which make them
interesting for the future mobility system.
 Conclusions
• The transport sector is experiencing increasing emissions, necessitating the
adoption of alternative automotive technologies with low carbon emissions,
particularly in urban areas.
• Public bus transport is predominantly diesel, but alternatives like FCBs and BEBs are
becoming more economically competitive.
• FCBs have significant potential for emissions reduction if they use green hydrogen
up to 93%.
• BEBs are a suitable short-term alternative, but long-term use is more appealing.
• High investment costs of FCBs are currently 40% higher than diesel buses, but
technological learning and economies-of-scale could reduce these costs.
• Investments in infrastructure, hydrogen production, distribution, and refueling
Many thanks for your attention.