Rostock, Güstrow, October 2, 2024 – Sustainable, environmentally friendly and innovative. rebus Regionalbus Rostock GmbH (rebus) is turning to the expertise of the hydrogen specialist H2APEX from Rostock for its transition to alternative propulsion. As a leading developer and operator of green hydrogen electrolysis plants, H2APEX was awarded the contract in spring 2023 for the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of two hydrogen refueling stations at the rebus depots in Güstrow and Bad Doberan. Additionally, H2APEX was tasked with supplying the two stations with green hydrogen. Today in Güstrow the official launch of the fleet, which will comprise 52 hydrogen buses by early next year, was celebrated. The event was attended by numerous guests from politics, business, and society, including Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Daniela Kluckert, State Ministery for Economics in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Ines Jesse, and District Administrator Sebastian Constien (see photo).
The initiative by H2APEX and rebus is expected to be important to passengers, as it contributes to climate neutrality. According to a survey conducted by the market research institute Civey on behalf of H2APEX, 54.5% of citizens aged 18 and over want public transport to transition to climate-neutral vehicles to protect the environment in the region. Furthermore, 58.4% of respondents believe that more investment should be made in expanding hydrogen technology.
The contract for constructing the two refueling stations was worth 6 million euros. In addition, H2APEX expects a total revenue of at least 21 million euros from hydrogen sales through the stations from 2024 to the end of 2031, as well as approximately 3 million euros for their operation and maintenance. The hydrogen refueling station in Güstrow is already operational, with the second one in Bad Doberan expected to be ready by the end of the year. Refueling a bus at the hydrogen station takes about 10 minutes, similar to diesel refueling.
At the company’s site in Rostock-Laage, H2APEX operates a 2 MW hydrogen electrolysis plant, which will produce the approximately 2,200 tons of green hydrogen needed for rebus from the end of 2024 to the end of 2031. Additional storage capacity for about 400 kg of hydrogen will be built to optimize plant operations, and filling and logistics capacity for transporting the hydrogen to the refueling stations will be increased. The H2APEX facility is one of the largest grid-connected hydrogen plants in Europe. Further production capacity of 100 MW will be built by 2027 as part of the “doing hydrogen” initiative in eastern Germany. The green hydrogen produced by H2APEX is sourced exclusively from renewable energies such as wind and solar power.
H2APEX has already built the first hydrogen refueling station for heavy-duty traffic in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which the company has successfully operated since October 2022. The station, located near Rostock-Laage Airport, close to the A19 and A20 highways, allows the refueling of trucks, buses, and cars with up to 450 kg of green hydrogen daily, which is produced climate-neutrally on-site by H2APEX.
“We are proud to support rebus in this green flagship project in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,” said Peter Rößner, CEO of H2APEX. “We particularly value that our long-term, close collaboration and intensive work since 2019 is now bearing fruit, and that together with our reliable partner rebus, we have been able to implement a nationwide flagship project. As a leading developer and operator of hydrogen electrolysis plants for industry, infrastructure, and mobility, H2APEX is pleased that rebus buses will now refuel at our stations in Güstrow and Bad Doberan with 100 percent green hydrogen produced at our site in Laage.”
Thomas Nienkerk, Managing Director of rebus, Regionalbus Rostock GmbH, said: “We are pleased to have awarded H2APEX the contract for the construction of the refueling stations and the supply of locally produced green hydrogen following the successful completion of a Europe-wide tender. Thus, two regionally based companies are making a crucial contribution to ramping up the hydrogen economy in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This makes rebus the operator of the second-largest hydrogen bus fleet in Germany and one of the largest in Europe.”
Martijn Kruisweg, CCO of Resato Hydrogen Technology, added: “The implementation of this hydrogen refueling station, specifically developed for bus operations, marks an important milestone in the collaboration between H2APEX and Resato Hydrogen Technology. It underscores our shared goal: building infrastructure that enables the large-scale transition to hydrogen as a sustainable alternative fuel. We are proud that our experience and technological expertise in hydrogen refueling stations contributed to this innovative project with our partner H2APEX.”