Perth EcoBus Trial

1
Overview of the Perth Fuel Cell Bus Trial
2004-2007 Luke ODonoghue Director, Sustainable
Transport Energy
2

• Outline
• Background
• Fuel cell basics
• Trial objectives
• Key partnerships
• The technology
• Buses
• Hydrogen infrastructure
• Key findings
• Issues and lessons for future trials
• Next steps

3
Fuel Cell Basics
4

• Trial objectives
• understand how hydrogen bus and refuelling
  technologies would cope with the demands of a
  real world operational environment
• identify location-specific challenges associated
  with operation of hydrogen vehicles, hydrogen
  production, and refuelling facilities and
• inform the community and key decision-makers
  about potential advantages of a hydrogen-based
  transport system.

5

• Partnerships
• International
• CUTE (first 2 years) HYFLEET CUTE (third year
  extension)
• ECTOS (Iceland)
• Funding
• West Australian State Government
• Australian Government
• Suppliers/operators
• DaimlerChrysler BP, Ballard Power Systems, BOC
  and Path Transit
• Evaluations
• Murdoch University

6
Technology Buses
7
Fuel Cell Bus Schematic
8
Technology - Hydrogen infrastructure
9
Refuelling facilities
10
Key findings - operations
11
Key findings - operations
12
Key findings - operations
Maintenance callouts per 100,000km
13
Key findings - hydrogen infrastructure

• Major problems in early stages of trial
• 3 months of downtime between Jan 2005 Sep 2005
• Rebuild of compressor, hose problems and
  contamination issues
• Most issues successfully overcome through design
  modifcations and repairs
• Nuisance faults remained an ongoing issue

14

• Evaluations
• Life Cycle Analysis
• EcoBuses achieved a similar Global Warming
  Potential to conventional buses, with an
  un-optimised system.
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• EcoBuses more expensive than diesel but
  competitiveness will improve as externalities are
  costed and conventional fuel prices increase.
• Public Perceptions
• General support for EcoBuses from the community.

15
Life Cycle Analysis Global Warming Potential
16
Education and Communication
17

• Key issues/lessons
• Regulatory environment
• Data collection
• Local industry development
• Clean hydrogen

18

• Next steps
• Future trials?
• International Partnerships

19
The Challenge
Source Hydrogen Bus Alliance (unpublished)
20
A Potential Deployment Strategy
Source Hydrogen Bus Alliance (unpublished)
21
Thank You
Further information www.dpi.wa.gov.au/ecobus or
Email ste_at_dpi.wa.gov.au