Wrightbus has received an order to supply 28 Kite Hydroliner single-decker hydrogen buses to Saarbahn GmbH in Saarland, Germany.
This contract builds on the Northern Irish manufacturer’s ongoing success in Europe, following orders from West Verkehr and Köln GmbH (RVK) in Germany for the supply of 12 and 60 Kite Hydroliners respectively.
The first five Wrightbus hydrogen-powered buses for Saarbahn GmbH will be delivered this year to Saarland, Germany. Here, the operator transports around 43.7 million passengers by road and rail each year.
Project manager Torsten Burgardt from Saarbahn said:We are extremely pleased to be working with Wrightbus to bring zero-emission buses to the roads of Saarland. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and this is the first step towards ensuring that half of our fleet is made up of zero-emission buses in the next three years.
The vehicles will be built at the Wrightbus factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, Saarbahn is also investing 5 million EUR in building a hydrogen refuelling station at its depot on Malstatter Straße in Saarbrücken to power the new buses.
Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive of Wrightbus, said:This is a significant deal for Wrightbus, Saarbahn GmbH and the people of Saarland. We are delighted to deliver even more zero-emission buses in support of clear net zero targets.
Saarbahn is the largest public transport operator in Saarbrücken and the surrounding area. Therefore, adding hydrogen buses to the fleet will have a significant positive impact on the region’s environment.
