Hong Kong – One more trial project on hydrogen fuel cell bus given agreement-in-principle by Inter-departmental Working Group

     A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) today (August 23) said that the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel (Working Group) led by the EEB has given agreement-in-principle to another application of a trial project on hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) double-deck buses on August 20. To date, the Working Group has examined in stages a total of seven applications that have been determined to be valid, and has given agreement-in-principle to all of them.
 
     The said project concerns an application submitted by Citybus Limited (Citybus). The trial project includes the setting up of a hydrogen refuelling facility at its bus depot in Chai Wan and the operation of five HFC double-decker buses. Citybus plans to arrange the operation of battery electric and conventional double-deck buses on the same route as the HFC double-deck buses, with a view to comparing their operational performances.
 
     The spokesperson of the EEB stated, “Upon receipt of the application for the trial project in January 2023, the Working Group promptly initiated the examination process. Following the applicant’s enhancement of the designs and technical details of its proposal to ensure that the trial project can be carried out smoothly and safely, the Working Group gave agreement-in-principle to the application on August 20. According to the plan of the applicant, the trial project is expected to commence in the second half of 2024.”
 
     Since March 24 this year, the Working Group has given agreement-in-principle to a total of seven valid applications of hydrogen energy trial projects. Thus far, all applications that have provided sufficient information to make such applications valid have been examined and processed by the Working Group. The Working Group will closely monitor the progress of the projects and maintain communication with the applicants so that they could optimise the trial projects based on the Working Group’s comments. The Working Group will also examine any new applications received in future, with a view to collecting more data and local operational experience from the hydrogen fuel trial projects as soon as possible, for the purpose of facilitating the formulation of relevant regulations, codes, standards, and technical guidelines for the local application of hydrogen fuel, as well as the planning for the necessary supporting facilities. 
 
     The Working Group is formed by the EEB, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Fire Services Department, the Transport Department, the Marine Department, the Planning Department, the Lands Department, the Buildings Department and the Architectural Services Department.