Editing Fuel Cell Bus Club (section)

== Projects ==
[[File:London-fuel-cell-bus-route25.jpg|thumb|Hydrogen fuel cell powered [[Mercedes-Benz Citaro]] at [[Stratford, London]] in 2004]]

=== CUTE ===
From 2001, the [[European Union]] supported research project Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) began running hydrogen fuel cell powered buses in nine European cities<ref name="Vidueira, J.M. PV"/> - [[Amsterdam]], [[Barcelona]], [[Hamburg]], [[London]], [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]], [[Madrid]], [[Porto]], [[Stockholm]], and [[Stuttgart]].<ref>"Fuel cell buses arrive in London, just Porto to go", ''Fuel Cells Bulletin''. Jan2004, Vol. 2004 Issue 1, p1. 1p. DOI: 10.1016/S1464-2859(04)00039-2.</ref> The project was supported by a consortium of transportation operators, hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell developers, universities and city authorities.<ref name="behling">{{cite book |author=Noriko Hikosaka Behling |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V4CF1ji4Z2gC&pg=PA486 |title=Fuel Cells: Current Technology Challenges and Future Research Needs |date=2012 |publisher=Newnes |isbn=9780444563255 |page=486 |accessdate=November 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Buses – Policies |url=https://www.iea.org/policies/3735-clean-urban-transport-for-europe-cute-hydrogen-and-fuel-cell-buses |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=IEA |language=en-GB}}</ref>

At the end of the project in 2006, researchers deemed the project a success.<ref name=":0">Kris Christen. "Europe's CUTE project for hydrogen-fuel-cell buses deemed a success", ''Environmental Science & Technology''. 8/1/2006, Vol. 40 Issue 15, p4541-4541.</ref><ref>Carvalho, Luís; Mingardo, Giuliano; Van Haaren, Jeroen. "Green Urban Transport Policies and Cleantech Innovations: Evidence from Curitiba, Göteborg and Hamburg", ''European Planning Studies''. Mar2012, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p375-396. 22p. DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.651801.</ref><ref>"Conference wraps up CUTE, next programs", ''Fuel Cells Bulletin''. Jul2006, Vol. 2006 Issue 7, p10-10. 1p. DOI: 10.1016/S1464-2859(06)71128-2.</ref> A subsequent project (HYFLEET-CUTE) ran from 2006 until 2009, using the existing hydrogen fuel cell buses as well as new buses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 March 2008 |title=Hydrogen for clean urban transport in Europe |url=https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/19991 |access-date=10 January 2023 |website=[[Community Research and Development Information Service|European Commission Cordis]]}}</ref>

=== ECTOS ===
ECTOS stands for ''Ecological City Transport System''.<ref>"Iceland: Long days, hot nights - MENTAL FLOSS". ''Star-Ledger'' (Newark, NJ) - Sunday, July 30, 2006</ref><ref>Maack, Maria; Skulason, Jon. "HOT ROCKS AND HYDROGEN", ''Power Engineer''. Feb 2003, Vol. 17 Issue 1, p14.</ref> [[Icelandic New Energy]] was responsible for this project, the aim of which was to demonstrate "state-of-the-art" hydrogen [[technology]] by running part of the [[public transport]] system with fuel cell buses in the city [[Reykjavík]], the capital of [[Iceland]]. Hydrogen was produced from domestic [[Geothermal power|geothermal]] and [[hydroelectricity|hydro-powered]] [[energy]] sources by [[electrolysis]].<ref>{{Cite web |agency=Reuters |title=Iceland buses come clean with hydrogen |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/iceland-buses-come-clean-with-hydrogen/ |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> The project ran from 2001 to 2005.<ref name=behling/>

===STEP===
STEP sood for Sustainable Transport Energy for Perth.<ref>Towards Tomorrow ''[[Sun-Herald]]'' 9 November 2003</ref> This initiative of the [[Government of Western Australia]]'s [[Department for Planning and Infrastructure]], was the responsibility of [[Transperth]], though it was run by contracted operator [[Path Transit]]. The three [[Mercedes-Benz]] hydrogen fuel cell buses that operated in [[Perth]] were called "EcoBuses".<ref>Hydrogen buses arrive in Perth ''[[Australasian Bus and Coach]]'' September 2004 page 13</ref> The STEP project ran from 2001 to 2005, with the first buses in service in September 2004.<ref name=behling/> The buses were withdrawn from service in 2007,<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 August 2007 |title=Hydrogen fuel cell bus trial draws to a close |url=https://www.pta.wa.gov.au/news/media-statements/hydrogen-fuel-cell-bus-trial-draws-to-a-close |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=[[Public Transport Authority (Western Australia)|Public Transport Transport Authority]]|language=en-US}}</ref> with one bus subsequently preserved (albeit without the hydrogen fuel cells).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crosbie |first=Malcolm |date=19 June 2011 |title=Hydrogen fuel Cell Buses |url=https://www.bpswa.org/hydrogen-fuel-cell-buses.html |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=[[Bus Preservation Society of Western Australia]] |language=en}}</ref>

The Perth trial received [[Australian dollar|A$]]2.5 million funding from the [[Department of the Environment and Heritage]] and the [[Australian Greenhouse Office]].<ref name=behling/> It was endorsed by the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] and the [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization]].<ref name=behling/>

[[BP]] produced the hydrogen as a by-product at its [[Kwinana Oil Refinery]] ({{Convert|50|km|mi|1}} south of Perth).<ref name=behling/> The hydrogen was then transported by road in specially designed road tankers to a bus depot in the northern suburbs of Perth.<ref name=behling/> Perth's buses achieved greater reliability and better [[fuel efficiency|fuel economy]] than in any other city in the trial.<ref name=behling/>

By June 2005, the Perth buses had covered more than {{Convert|60000|km|mi|0}} and completed almost 3,000 operational hours, with almost 60,000 passengers having used the service.<ref name=behling/>

* In 2004, STEP received a [[Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport]] Outstanding Achievement award.
* In 2005, it was presented with a Banksia award in the "Government Leading by Example for a Sustainable Future" category.

=== China ===
In 2005, Beijing purchased three hydrogen fuel cell buses from the consortium using [[United Nations Development Programme]] grants. These buses entered service as the first fuel cell buses in China, in June 2006. Scientists and researchers hoped to demonstrate how emission free transport could be achieved in China. At the time, fossil fuels such as coal and oil made up 90 per cent of China's total energy use.<ref name="gov.cn"/> However, the buses were withdrawn after one year, as air pollution reduced the efficiency and operating life of the fuel cells.<ref>{{Cite web |last=杨裕生 |date=20 March 2013 |title=杨裕生院士：氢燃料电池拯救不了蓝天 |url=https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2013/3/275834.shtm |access-date=26 October 2022 |website=Sciencenet.cn |language=Chinese}}</ref>