The ECTOS was a 4 year project sponsored by the European commission 5th framwork programme, attached to  the DG Research; contact Mr Eric Ponthieu. The buses were used between  2003 and 2007, but the ECTOS startied with a two year preparation phase during which the hydrogen station and buses were undergoing detailed design. A hydrogen production - compression, storage and dispensing station was ingaugurated in 2003 only using fresh water and electricity to make the hydrogen. Three fuel cell buses of the type CITARO were test driven within the public transport system of Reykjavik. In Jan 2006 it was decided to prolong the Hydrogen bus demonstration using the same buses, the same fuel cells, the same hydrogen station but partially with a new agenda; Icelandic New Energy participates thereby in Hy-FLEET:CUTE (see also www.global-hydrogen-bus-platform.com )

The test driving in ECTOS and the CUTE project were partially run simultainously but ECTOS started and ended earlier. During the projects surveys were carried out technologicl monitoring was extensive and data was sampled. The outcomes will be integrated in further work with this type of transportation systems in HyFLEET:CUTE. The ECTOS reports describe the outcomes from  Reykjavik in detail. In Reykajvik there was no detailed efficinecy study made, but if you are interested in looking into the performance of subsystems and total fuel consumption on board this first generation of Hydrogen buses then please enjoy the outcome of the study made in Stockholm. The main author is Maria Saxe.  

The overall objective of ECTOS was to demonstrate the state-of-the-art hydrogen technology by running part of the public transport system with fuel cell busses within Reykjavík, Iceland. The energy chain is nearly CO2 free, because domestic geothermal and hydro-powered energy sources feed the national electricity grid and this is used to produce hydrogen by electrolysis. A hydrogen fuel station has been in operatino since its inauguration and makes very  pure hydrogen for the ECTOS fuel cell buses and other vehicles that have been shown in Reykjavik on special occasions. The fuel cell buses are refuelled daily at the hydrogen station, therefore all transportation and extra handling is minimized and safety measures optimal. An emergency responce plan is in place and routine proceedures establised to minimize any risks.  

The main research objectives for these hydrogen fc bus projects is to find a safe, logical, and clean way to integrate hydrogen into the current energy system. They are formulatyed because of concern for the socio-economic and environmental aspects for an eventual shift to a hydrogen based modern society. The goals of ECTOS are to learn from doing - and gaining real experience from using hydrogen as a fuel. Remember that our second year newsletter contains a description of our hydrogen station.