Shut down for 3 months! Hydrogen bus in California collapsed due to problems with Nel refueling station

The CEO of California bus operator SunLine Transit Agency told local reporters that the company's hydrogen-fueled buses, which make up 35 percent of its fleet, have been out of service for three months because of major problems with filling stations provided by Norwegian equipment manufacturer Nel.

The station, which has an on-site proton exchange membrane electrolyzer capable of supplying up to 900 kg of hydrogen per day, has failed multiple field tests since it became operational in 2019.

"The problem with our immature hydrogen pumps is not unique to us," SunLine CEO Mona Babauta revealed during her opening remarks at the California Coordinated Transportation Association (CALACT) conference last week, meaning the company was completely unable to refueling buses for three months since August. That led to a 20 percent drop in the company's daily service in Coachella Valley and Palm Springs.

"On the worst days, we impact the lives of more than 1,000 customers who have to wait longer for a bus," Babauta said. In some cases, that means waiting more than an hour.

As a result, the bus operator has had to look for alternative fuels, including relying on the company's old hydrogen refueling stations, which were never decommissioned, to continue operating some of its hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

A new liquid hydrogen filling station is also under construction, although it won't be operational until 2024.

At the same time, SunLine has also leased eight buses that run on fossil fuels and will return to full operation next year.

However, while Nel will test its refueling station on November 12, Babauta reportedly said that if it fails, SunLine will withhold $630,000 in outstanding payments and seek ownership of the station, as well as its materials and equipment, within 30 days.

"SunLine is a pioneer in the green transition and we want nothing more than for them to successfully run their buses on renewable hydrogen fuel," a Nel spokesperson told the media.

"We have been working closely with SunLine since the station was installed in 2019, and this is the first site on the new technology platform. Nel has invested significant time, resources and money to address technical issues with this hydrogen fueling station. Now, we are in the final stages of a major upgrade of the fueling station, after which we expect to improve performance."

Babauta told local newspaper The Desert Sun that other bus companies, which must comply with the state's requirement that all public transportation be zero-emission by 2040, that is, run on hydrogen fuel or batteries, are investing "with their eyes wide open."

She added that agencies should "be smart and have contingency plans" or face similar issues, such as the reliability of the fuel network and the buses themselves.