Clean Public Transport: Hydrogen Powered Buses in Brasil

At first sight, it looks like an ordinary bus. The difference is only noticed when it comes nearer and one hears no sound, and doesn´t see the usual black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Latin America´s first hydrogen powered public transport bus took the streets of São Paulo on July 1st. The project has been under development since 2004 and is the result of different partnerships, including with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNDP Brazil.

The hydrogen bus will be tested during two months before being incorporated into the regular fleet. The goal is to have 4 hydrogen buses running in São Paulo by June 2010 and, in order to fuel these buses, a factory which produces hydrogen from water electrolysis will begin to be constructed this month. Until its inauguration, expected for the beginning of 2010, the hydrogen used to fuel the bus will be produced from natural gas, a fossil fuel.

China and Brazil are the only two emerging countries that have been able to take the first step towards transforming into reality the dream of a pollution-free public transport, by putting hydrogen powered buses on the streets. Unfortunately, the still very expensive technology means massive investment is needed in order to make hydrogen fuel available on a larger scale. Nevertheless, this first bus is an important sign of the Brazilian government’s commitment towards the reduction of carbon emissions and an important encouragement towards the development of other clean and renewable energy technology in Brazil.

[via The United Nations Newsroom]