Romania to host the third hydrogen bus roadshow this spring as part of the JIVE projects

Romania hosts the third hydrogen bus roadshow this spring as part of the JIVE projects supported and funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, followed by Greece, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Bulgaria. A hydrogen fuel cell bus will be made available at the beginning of May 2024 for testing and demonstration purposes in nine European cities, including Cluj-Napoca and Galati.

Following the positive results of the first two JIVE projects CEE (Central Eastern Europe) roadshows – one organized between November 2022 and January 2023 with the bus traveling a total distance of 1,641 km across 5 countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary) and a second one from September to mid-October 2023 across 4 countries (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) with the bus traveling a total distance of 1,450 km – this third roadshow aims to provide the opportunity to showcase in Romania the technology based on hydrogen and to allow cities to experience and test it.

The previous initiatives had an important impact on local demand, with nearly all participating cities announcing a formal interest in deploying hydrogen fuel cell buses after the roadshow. It also contributed to a higher understanding of the technology and its benefits to a large audience.

Mirela Atanasiu, Executive Director ad interim of Clean Hydrogen Partnership, said: “I am proud to see that with its 3rd Road Show in Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, our project JIVE is continuing to show-case the hydrogen buses and refuelling stations to the interested local authorities in South-Eastern Europe. It follows the success of the previous roadshows in Central Europe and the Baltics last year, while generating interest in the commercialization of such fuel cell buses as a first step in the decarbonization of public transport in cities.

Through the funding provided by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, and the additional strategic collaboration with regional authorities and industrial partners, JIVE is a successful example of how we can position the EU as a front-runner to become carbon-neutral by 2050.”

“The involvement of Romania and, especially, of the two cities – Cluj-Napoca and Galati – in the 2024 Roadshow is not arbitrary: both municipalities have shown their openness to green technology and have publicly expressed their desire to expand the fleet of buses with hydrogen vehicles, for a cleaner environment”, say Cristina Păun and Andreea Gheorghe, national coordinators of the project. “We are proud to support this initiative as part of our desire to help bring clean energy solutions of the future to the reality of today.” 

Dedicated events will take place in Cluj-Napoca on May 9, 2024, and in Galați on May 13, 2024, aiming to address the different barriers to hydrogen powered buses in the country and attempt to find solutions. It will host representatives from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, Hydrogen Europe and ERM together with Romanian central and local authorities’ representatives, experts, and energy associations.