From December 2011 HyNor Oslo Buss will operate 5 fuel cell buses, with hydrogen as fuel. The supplier is Belgium bus manufacturer Van Hool. The project also includes the building of a hydrogen station.
The operation will be based at Rosenholm bus garage, where the hydrogen station also will be established. Ruter, the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, is responsible for the operation, but the actual driving of the buses will be done by an operator chosen from a competitive tender in February 2011.
The hydrogen station will be procured in October 2010 after a competitive tender. HyNor Oslo Buss is a common project between the regional transport executive company Ruter (authority), the environmental organisation Zero, Oslo City and Akershus County. The two latter have contributed substantial to the financial of the project. In addition the project has got external financial support from Transnova, Norwegian Research Council and an EU program (Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking program). The project will reduce noise and make a better air quality in the Oslo area in addition to reduced global emission from public transport.
HyNor Oslo Buss project is a part of a common European demonstration project (CHIC) of fuel cell buses from 2010 to 2016. This project includes also fuel cell buses in 4 other cities in Europe. HyER (formerly HyRaMP), Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Electromobility in European Regions, is taking part within this effort as a dissemination partner.