Romania to host third JIVE Projects Central Eastern Europe Hydrogen Bus Roadshow this spring

Romania will host the third hydrogen bus roadshow this spring as part of the JIVE projects supported and funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, followed by Greece, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Bulgaria.

During the first JIVE project CEE roadshow, which ran between November 2022 and January 2023, the bus traveled across Slovenia, Croatia, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary, crossing 1,641 km. During the second one, which was spent in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, it covered 1,450 km. This time, organizers aim to provide the opportunity to showcase in Romania the technology based on hydrogen and to allow cities to experience and test it.

A hydrogen fuel cell bus will be made available at the beginning of May 2024 for testing and demonstration purposes in nine European cities, including Cluj-Napoca and Galati in Romania. The previous initiatives had an important impact on local demand, with nearly all participating cities announcing a formal interest in deploying hydrogen fuel cell buses after the roadshow.

“I am proud to see that with its 3rd Road Show in Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, our project JIVE is continuing to showcase the hydrogen buses and refueling stations to the interested local authorities in South-Eastern Europe. [...] Through the funding provided by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, and the additional strategic collaboration with regional authorities and industrial partners, JIVE is a successful example of how we can position the EU as a front-runner to become carbon-neutral by 2050,” said Mirela Atanasiu, Executive Director ad interim of Clean Hydrogen Partnership.

“The involvement of Romania and, especially, of the two cities – Cluj-Napoca and Galati – in the 2024 Roadshow is not arbitrary: both municipalities have shown their openness to green technology and have publicly expressed their desire to expand the fleet of buses with hydrogen vehicles, for a cleaner environment”, said Cristina Păun and Andreea Gheorghe, national coordinators of the project.

Dedicated events will take place in Cluj-Napoca on May 9 and in Galati on May 13, aiming to address the different barriers to hydrogen-powered buses in the country and attempt to find solutions. Events will be attended by representatives from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, Hydrogen Europe, and ERM, together with Romanian central and local authorities’ representatives, experts, and energy associations.

(Photo source: the organizers)