Queensland to promote hydrogen-powered buses

Queensland government will extend a A$2.7mn ($2mn) grant to help renewable hydrogen-powered buses carry mine workers and students in the Bowen basin, the state government said on April 20.

Acting premier and minister for state development Steven Miles said local bus company Emerald Coaches would be supported by a grant from round two of the A$35mn Hydrogen Industry Development Fund (HIDF).

“The Palaszczuk government is supporting the use of renewable energy for public transport across the state, including for longer-distance travel,” Miles said. “This project will demonstrate the commercial viability of transitioning a regional bus fleet to new technology renewable hydrogen.”

The project will see Emerald Coaches integrate two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses into its fleet of 120 diesel buses by mid-2023. The total zero-emissions transition is estimated to cost A$100mn by 2040.

Round two of the HIDF will see more than A$20mn allocated to renewable hydrogen technology projects that are expected to support hundreds of highly skilled jobs, the government said.