Ballard Power Systems announced multiple purchase orders totaling 177 hydrogen fuel cell engines from long-standing customer Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o., European bus manufacturer deploying hydrogen-powered city buses across the continent. Ballard expects limited initial deliveries of the 177 fuel cell engines in 2023, with the remainder to ship from 2024 through 2026, the company said.

The orders include the supply of fuel cell engines to support the largest announced deployment of a fleet of fuel cell city buses in Europe, with 127 Solaris fuel cell buses to be deployed in Bologna, Italy, according to Ballard.

Ballard said it also received orders for an additional 50 modules to power Solaris fuel cell buses in Germany and Italy. The number of engines ordered by Solaris year-to-date now exceeds 270, representing substantial growth over the more than 140 fuel cell city buses that Solaris has deployed with customers in Europe to date.

“We’re thrilled to see the continued success of our partner Solaris as they secure tender wins for fuel cell city bus deployments in Europe, further validating the value proposition of hydrogen-fueled buses to transit operators in the region,” said David Mucciacciaro, Ballard chief commercial officer. “There is growing interest in Europe for larger deployments of zero-emission, fuel cell electric buses that offer range, refueling time, and operating rhythm consistent with legacy diesel bus experience, while also avoiding the challenges and costs associated with scaling recharging infrastructure for larger fleets of battery electric buses.”