Saarbahn remains technology-neutral

The decision to transition to locally emission-free propulsion systems, initially using hydrogen technology, was made years ago based on a feasibility study. Due to the topography and the current state of the art, the experts' clear recommendation was to use hydrogen as the emission-free propulsion technology. "We have been operating fuel cell buses since last summer. The emission-free vehicles are particularly impressive when traversing steep terrain and with their range of around 400 kilometers," said Saarbahn Managing Director Karsten Nagel. Nevertheless, Saarbahn remains open to all technologies, as there is significant technological progress in the vehicle sector and the range of battery-powered buses is also continuously improving. 

Technical data of the hydrogen filling station

“The newly opened hydrogen filling station is equipped with three H2 dispensers , each with an operating pressure of 350 bar. The rapid refueling of hydrogen buses using the ‘back-to-back’ method (directly one after the other) makes it possible to integrate regular buses into operations efficiently and without long waiting times,” explains Torsten Burgardt, who is responsible for the infrastructure of the Saarbahn and oversees the hydrogen project.

The fuel cell buses (Kite Hydroliner from the Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus) have five hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 36.5 kilograms of hydrogen on the roof. "Based on our initial operational experience, these buses have a range of up to 400 kilometers," Burgardt continued. Refueling a bus takes up to ten minutes.

The hydrogen filling station has a total capacity of 2.4 tons. The station technology is supplied by Schwelm Anlagentechnik and can be expanded as needed thanks to its modular design. The hydrogen is delivered by special truck trailers. As a temporary measure, hydrogen buses were refueled using a transfer station.

The long-term goal is for the green hydrogen to be produced in Freisen from 2028 onwards, using an electrolyzer at the local wind farm. The Saarland Ministry for the Environment is supporting the construction of the electrolyzer with approximately €2.7 million. The project is currently being further developed jointly by Saarbahn and the Saar wind farm.

Investment in emission-free mobility

Saarbahn invested €7.6 million in the construction of the hydrogen infrastructure. Of this, 40 percent, totaling €3.06 million, is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDV). The funding guidelines are coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by the Project Management Agency Jülich (PtJ).

Source :  Fuel Cells Works