ICB commissions Everfuel for hydrogen infrastructure

The Frankfurt-based transport company In der City Bus (ICB) has awarded the contract for the planning, construction, and commissioning of a hydrogen refueling station, including maintenance and servicing, to the hydrogen infrastructure provider Everfuel following a Europe-wide tendering process. The project is subsidized by the Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, and Housing with 1.7 million euros. Everfuel will also be tasked with supplying locally produced hydrogen, which is already generated as a byproduct in industrial manufacturing processes in the region. The otherwise unnecessary hydrogen will additionally be compensated with CO₂ certificates, making it a climate-friendly fuel, according to the press release. The planned, fully redundant, and modular hydrogen refueling station can be easily expanded if needed. The refueling capacity is initially designed for at least 22 fuel cell buses. The entire facility is designed to be relocated to a new site in a few years, according to the transport operator.

With a mixed concept towards emissions-free public transport

“The construction of the hydrogen refueling station allows our municipal bus company ICB to advance the electrification of its fleet. This is because the fuel cell technology offers two main advantages: a large range and quick refueling. This makes climate-neutral mobility possible even on longer routes,” explains Stefan Majer, Frankfurt’s Mobility Councillor, emphasizing the importance of integrating hydrogen propulsion into Frankfurt's urban transport system.

The city of Frankfurt am Main relies on a mixed concept of battery buses with nighttime charging in the depot and fuel cell buses to leverage the system advantages of both technologies.

ICB is starting the second phase of its electrification concept with the hydrogen project: battery buses have been used since 2018. With the fuel cell buses, the company is now integrating the second alternative propulsion technology into its fleet.

The first 13 fuel cell buses were ordered in 2021. The acquisition was funded by the Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport with 2.4 million euros from the program "Procurement of Electric Buses for Public Transport in Hesse".

In the future, they will be used on line 36, which covers over 22 km almost exclusively through densely built-up inner-city and city-center adjacent districts of Frankfurt.