Why batteries trump hydrogen for buses
Authors
Hydrogen fuel cell buses are expensive, require more infrastructure, and do not deliver real-world reductions in emissions. Electrifying Australia’s buses should be a priority for state governments for air quality and climate reasons.
In 2023 the transport sector produced 21% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. Without policy change, by 2030 it will be the largest contributor to the country’s overall emissions. While they are only one part of that sector, Australia’s buses nevertheless present a significant opportunity for decarbonisation.
At present, the decarbonisation of Australia’s bus fleet is focused on two competing technologies: electric buses that run on battery power (BEBs), and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells (FCEBs). However, the choice between these technologies is clear, because BEBs have several key advantages over FCEBs:
- FCEBs are between 15 and 32 times more expensive to run than BEBs;
- If run on green hydrogen—which is produced from water with renewable electricity, thus producing no greenhouse gases—FCEBs use more than three times more renewable electricity than BEBs;
- If they are run on hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, FCEBs produce significantly more greenhouse emissions than BEBs: the latter produce between 22.8% and 98.8% less CO2-equivalent than the former.
Hydrogen buses are a costly dead end, as shown by numerous failed hydrogen bus trials around the world. Meanwhile, BEBs have proven time and again to be an ideal, mature technology to drive the decarbonisation of public transport. They should be rolled out in Australia without further delay.