The urban community of Limoges has decided to put 13 H2 powered buses to use between 2025 and 2028. They will be powered by green hydrogen, produced by electrolysis.

Limoges Métropole voted unanimously for this project at the community council meeting held on 21 November. It is linked to the Territory Project and the Territorial Climate Air and Energy Plan.

In conjunction with Engie, this ecosystem is part of a call for projects from ADEME, which is providing funding of up to €5.9 million (about $6.2 million). The total cost of the project is €25 million (about $26.3 million), of which €16.1 million (around $16.9 million) is being funded by Limoges Métropole and €2.7 million (around $2.85 million) by the New Aquitaine Region. The urban community will install an electrolyser, for which the electricity will be supplied by a waste treatment plant, to the north of Limoges. It will be possible to produce 400 kg of hydrogen a day. A second bus warehouse will be built on the same site and will be operational in spring 2023.

Five buses will be introduced from 2025, followed by three in 2026, three more in 2027 and the last two in 2028. The agglomeration has chosen Van Hool, the same manufacturer which equips the city of Pau. In addition, it is considering retrofitting to accelerate the decarbonisation of its fleet.

The station will also be able to supply refuse lorries and, in the medium term, heavy goods vehicles transiting on the A20 between Spain, Toulouse and Paris.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King