Saarbahn GmbH Transport Company Opts for Hydrogen to Replace its fleet

Saarland is to be made a model for hydrogen. In order to use the opportunities of this future technology for the entire region, Saarbahn GmbH has decided to go into the alternative drive with hydrogen. The supervisory board of the Saarbrücken company has approved the procurement of four fuel cell buses.

Saarbahn is one of the few public transport companies to have many years of experience with alternative forms of drive, as there are currently 19 natural gas buses in use.

In the course of its new procurement of buses, the vehicle fleet of Saarbahn GmbH will be replaced by 20 new buses, all of which currently meet the strictest emission class for commercial vehicles EURO VI. According to the Saarbahn, the rejuvenation of the vehicle fleet will make a direct contribution to reducing CO 2 pollution. With this measure, the company anticipates annual savings of 23 tons of CO 2 .

Transformation process at Saarbahn

“With the rejuvenation of our diesel fleet, we are gaining enough time to tackle technical developments in the direction of H 2 drive technology without jeopardizing operational stability. We don’t just want to wait and see how the alternative drive market develops, we want to design and develop it further, ”emphasizes Saarbahn CEO Peter Edlinger. A complete changeover to alternative drives takes time and is a permanently evolving process in which the Saarbahn wants to play an important role. Saarbahn is already a partner in the Saarland hydrogen model region.

A complete switch to alternative vehicles is only possible with appropriate government support.

Mayor Conradt who welcomes Saarbahn’s decision to pursue a clear hydrogen strategy said, “In order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality in the city of Saarbrücken, it is essential that we convert to alternative forms of drive-in public transport. Here, hydrogen technology represents a great opportunity. We want to be pioneers in technical development and the turnaround in traffic. This requires the use of existing and announced funding programs from the state, federal government, and the EU. ”