Environment award for bus trial

 
Bus trial collaborators with Minister Alannah McTiernan celebrating their Banksia Award

Western Australia's ground breaking hydrogen fuel cell bus trial has scooped one of the Nation's top environmental awards.

These new Ecobuses, which are being trialled on the Circle Route and the inner city CAT routes, is a collaborative research project between Murdoch University, Daimler Chrysler, BP, Path Transit, Transperth, and is being coordinated by Simon Whitehouse, Project Director at the Department for Planning and Infrastructure.

Since last year, the three buses have been quietly transporting passengers across the metropolitan area producing no greenhouse gases or smog creating emissions.

Fuel cells create continuous power as hydrogen is passed through a membrane in a carbon ‘sandwich’ and mixes with oxygen. The result is electricity, which is used to power an electric motor. The only emission through the tailpipe is water vapour.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the Banksia Award recognised WA’s pioneering role in bringing clean, green public transport to the world.

“Perth is the only place in the southern hemisphere where hydrogen fuel cell buses are regularly operating,” she said.

“This award recognises the significant contribution WA is making in reducing greenhouse emissions and providing clean, green public transport.

“Our project partners should be very proud of this achievement, the trial is an important step in protecting WA’s unique lifestyle and environment.”

The project won the Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport 2004 Outstanding Achievement Award and is part of the Sustainable Transport Energy Program (STEP), which won the Sustainable Transport Coalition’s Government Innovation Award.