State-owned Belgian bus operator De Lijn has ended operation of five hydrogen buses in Antwerp and dismantled a hydrogen filling station, with local officials saying the vehicles will not be replaced because H2 transport is too expensive and operationally difficult.
Five H2-powered models in Antwerp taken out of service due to expense and problems accessing technical support
A key factor in this decision is mentioned as being the bankruptcy of Van Hool, provider of the small fleet, that was delivered in 2014. With the company’s closure, technical support and maintenance options were no longer available, contributing to higher operational costs over the vehicles’ lifetime.
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Annick De Ridder, confirmed that De Lijn’s future strategy will focus exclusively on battery-electric buses. “With the bankruptcy, technical support and maintenance options disappeared. Combined with higher operational costs, the decision was made to dismantle the hydrogen refuelling station at Vaartkaai and retire the five hydrogen buses,” De Ridder stated.
She further emphasized that hydrogen is not currently considered a viable solution for public transport in Belgium. “Our electrification strategy is focused on battery-powered vehicles. There are no plans to deploy hydrogen buses,” she added.
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