52 fuel cell buses delivered to Rostock, marking one of the largest H2 fleets in Germany

Rebus Regionalbus Rostock GmbH has recently been delivered 52 hydrogen fuel cell buses. The operator is responsible for local public transport in the entire district of Rostock, north of Berlin. The new delivery involves 47 solo and 5 articulated buses, awarded to Solaris back in 2023.

Around 30 of them are currently in service and have covered over 150,000 km so far. The downtime of the vehicles is relatively short and mainly due to minor software faults in the vehicles, the operator states.

Rebus fuel cell buses: 52 by end of the year

The short-term goal of Rebus is to operate the refueling stations on a stable basis in regular service and to integrate all 52 fuel cell buses in regular service. No further vehicle purchases are planned until 2026.

The fuel cell buses are refueled at the depot filling station in Güstrow. The hydrogen refueling station is in regular operation. Another station is due to open within March in Bad Doberan, which, in addition to the fueling station in Güstrow, will serve as an additional source of hydrogen for the vehicles. The design and procurement of the hydrogen refueling stations was supported by Cologne-based engineering company EMCEL, including the bidding discussions, the subsequent evaluation of the bids and the development of the safety concept.

According to Thomas Nienkerk, managing director of rebus, the vehicles were delivered in full by calendar week 51, as promised by the manufacturer: “The vehicles are running smoothly. Minor repairs are sometimes carried out directly with the support of the manufacturer. Even at low temperatures, the buses have been able to run reliably in regular service so far,” he says.

As part of the mobility transition, Rebus has decided to switch to hydrogen-powered vehicles. The changeover requires years of preparation and careful planning. “It pays to work with competent partners as part of the overall project,” says Rebus.