EU project pioneers zero emission buses
An EU funded project, which will see fuel cell buses introduced to public transport is about to take off in Reykjavik, Iceland. The project, ECTOS, is part of the key action 'city of tomorrow and cultural heritage', under the 'energy, environment and sustainable development' programme of the European Commission's Fifth Framework programme. The project will combine demonstration and research of hydrogen infrastructure and operation of hydrogen fuel cell buses. It will play a vital role in assessing the feasibility of fuel cell technology as compared with other clean and traditional alternatives. Hydrogen energy produces zero emissions, and thus plays a part in the reduction of greenhouse gases, to which the EU is committed when it signed the Kyoto Protocol. The EU has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by eight per cent compared with 1990 levels in the period 2008 to 2012. The ECTOS project is the first in a series of fuel cell hydrogen bus demonstrations taking place in Europe. The European Union will contribute 2.85 million euro to the project.