H2APEX Completes Hydrogen Refueling Station for One of Europe’s Largest Hydrogen Bus Fleets

Sustainable, eco-friendly, and innovative—rebus Regionalbus Rostock GmbH (rebus) is leveraging the expertise of hydrogen specialist H2APEX from Rostock to transition to alternative propulsion systems. In spring 2023, H2APEX, a leader in green hydrogen electrolysis plants, was awarded the contract to plan, build, operate, and maintain two hydrogen refueling stations at rebus depots in Güstrow and Bad Doberan. The company was also tasked with supplying green hydrogen to the stations. Today, the fleet's official launch took place in Güstrow, with plans to include 52 hydrogen buses by early next year.

The collaboration between H2APEX and rebus is expected to significantly impact passengers by contributing to climate-neutral public transport. A survey by Civey, commissioned by H2APEX, found that 54.5% of adults over 18 want public transport to switch to climate-neutral vehicles to protect the environment in the region, while 58.4% believe more investment should be made in hydrogen technology expansion.

The contract to build the two stations is valued at 6 million euros, with H2APEX anticipating at least 21 million euros in hydrogen sales from 2024 to 2031, along with an additional 3 million euros for operations and maintenance. The Güstrow station is already operational, and the Bad Doberan station is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Refueling a bus at these stations takes about 10 minutes, similar to diesel..

At its Rostock-Laage site, H2APEX operates a 2 MW hydrogen electrolysis plant that will supply approximately 2,200 tons of green hydrogen for rebus by 2031. The company plans to expand storage capacity for 400 kg of hydrogen and increase logistics capabilities for hydrogen transport. H2APEX's facility is one of Europe's largest grid-connected hydrogen plants, with plans to add 100 MW of capacity by 2027 through the "doing hydrogen" initiative in eastern Germany. The green hydrogen is produced solely from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

H2APEX has already constructed Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's first hydrogen refueling station for heavy-duty traffic, successfully operating it since October 2022 near Rostock-Laage Airport. The station can refuel trucks, buses, and cars with up to 450 kg of green hydrogen daily, produced on-site in a climate-neutral manner by H2APEX.