Hong Kong bus operator KMB may go green with zero emissions using hydrogen fuel cell technology
UK-based partner says trials expected for double deckers running on new system that is more efficient than batteries
Hong Kong bus operator KMB – recently locked in a wage row with drivers – may explore hydrogen fuel cell technology to achieve zero emissions for its fleet of double deckers, according to the company’s UK-based partner.
Mark Nodder, chairman and CEO of Wrights Group, a technological pioneer in public transport, revealed the news in an exclusive interview with the Post.
During a visit to the city last month, Nodder met KMB managing director Roger Lee. He said Lee expressed an interest to join a trial for hydrogen fuel cells.
The two new e-vehicles designed to cut pollution on Hong Kong’s roads
The group is also known as Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland bus manufacturer and front-runner in innovative hydrogen and electric battery technology. It aims to produce buses with zero emissions, including electric buses or those powered by hybrid systems or hydrogen.
It is now developing the world’s first hydrogen-powered double decker for London, and has already put into service a fleet of eight hydrogen single-deck buses in the British capital. The move comes amid a pledge by London mayor Sadiq Khan to stop buying pure diesel double deckers from this year, as part of a drive to improve the city’s air quality.
The hydrogen bus is designed as a hybrid vehicle with zero emissions, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and a battery pack. A hydrogen tank provides the gas to the fuel cell where it combines with oxygen to produce electricity for the vehicle.