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November, 2011:

Functional five named and shamed

Nov 17th, 2011
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Hong Kong Standard

Samson Lee

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Five of six pro-establishment lawmakers escaped disciplinary action, despite being named and shamed for lack of due diligence in reporting their financial interests.

According to a report released yesterday by the Committee on Members’ Interests, chairwoman Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun and Andrew Leung Kwan- yuen both of Economic Synergy, Philip Wong Yu- hong of Business and Professionals Alliance, and their allies Chim Pui-chung and Timothy Fok Tsun-ting made mistakes in reporting their financial interests.

All five admitted their failings.

Only the complaint against Ip Kwok-him of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong was unsubstantiated.

The panel investigated complaints – arising from media reports in April – about the failure of lawmakers to furnish their registrable interests, comprising their directorships or shareholdings in several companies.

Ip is the only lawmaker not from a functional constituency.

As Sophie Leung is chairwoman of the committee, the investigation was led by vice chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing of the Democratic Party.

Ip was cleared because he resigned as director of a funeral company on August 14, 2007, before his current legislative term commenced in October 2008. The committee named and shamed the other five lawmakers for breaching Rule 83 of the Rules of Procedure that members of the Legislative Council should provide the legislature with details of their registrable interests, not later than the first meeting of each term.

However, it did not recommend any disciplinary action. Emily Lau said the six did not take part in the deliberations.

“We have no evidence to prove that. Also we did not find any conflict of interests,” said Lau, demanding that Legco study overseas cases on how to monitor the personal interests of lawmakers.

Ip welcomed the findings but said he was shocked by the complaint as he had already resigned as director before his current Legco term.

Health of millions of children in East Asia, Pacific at risk due to climate change, UNICEF report says

Nov 16th, 2011
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http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111116/Health-of-millions-of-children-in-East-Asia-Pacific-at-risk-due-to-climate-change-UNICEF-report-says.aspx

“Climate change is expected to worsen the plight of millions of children in East Asia and the Pacific who already lack food and clean water and are vulnerable to disease, … UNICEF said Monday … in its report (.pdf) ‘Children’s vulnerabilities to climate change and disaster impacts in East Asia and the Pacific,'” AlertNet reports. “‘Higher temperatures have been linked to increased rates of malnutrition, cholera, diarrheal disease and vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria,’ putting children at far greater risk of contracting these diseases and succumbing to their complications, the report said,” the news service writes.

Children in East Asia and the Pacific “have already noted a range of experiences from climate change, the report said, from threats to livelihoods in Mongolia, dangers of sea level rise in the Pacific Islands, massive flooding in the Philippines and crop failures in Indonesia,” AlertNet notes. “Asia Pacific is also the most disaster-prone region in the world and most deaths from disasters are concentrated here,” the news service writes, adding, “Climate change impacts are also projected to increase the numbers of children affected by natural hazards globally, the report said” (Win, 11/14).

We’re top of the health league

Nov 16th, 2011
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Hong Kong Standard

Samson Lee

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Hong Kong ranks first in terms of health, ahead of cities including Tokyo and Singapore.

A study by the London School of Economics, Deutsche Bank’s Alfred Herrhausen Society and the University of Hong Kong looked at 129 cities, including Beijing, Moscow and Delhi, totalling 1.2 billion people.

Hong Kong had the highest health index of 0.88 (with 1 the full mark) and was followed by three cities with the same score of 0.86 – Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, and Singapore.

Professor of Urban Studies at the LSE Ricky Burdett said the health index was based on life expectancy, child mortality (death before a child’s fifth birthday) and other health indicators.

In Hong Kong, people live to an average age of 82.5 years. In New York life expectancy is 80.3 years while those living in London have an average age of 80.6 years.

Child mortality in Hong Kong has dropped from 13 per 1,000 live births in 1980 to less than four in 2009. It is now at two deaths per 1,000 births, compared to five in London.

Burdett believes Hong Kong topped the list because of a well-established health system.

“Urbanization has been associated with improvements in income levels and health outcomes. Global well-being will increasingly be determined by the health of urban dwellers,” he said, adding it is the first time for the LSE to conduct a study to compare health levels among metropolitan regions.

However, Hong Kong falls outside the top 10 when it comes to education, scoring 0.66. Sydney topped the list with 0.89. The index includes factors such as the average years of schooling.

In addition, the LSE and HKU interviewed more than 30 people during the summer to understand their thoughts about their living environments. It was found that convenience and accessibility is important to Hong Kong people.

A respondent told the research team that those living in Tai Po spent more time traveling than those in the city. “You’ve got to make a choice: either a better environment or a more convenient place,” he said.

The study weighed the trade-off between convenience and living in extremely cramped conditions such as partitioned flats in ShamShui Po.

Urban and health practitioners and academics from Europe, Africa and Australia will make over 40 presentations about health and well-being at a conference at the Conrad Hotel today and tomorrow

New pollution traps to target ‘invisible’ fumes

Nov 16th, 2011
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South China Morning Post – 16 Nov. 2011

Petrol and LPG vehicles pumping out colourless emissions face being ordered off the road, while subsidised upgrades will be available for minibuses and taxis

Environment officials are setting a hi-tech trap for drivers whose vehicles pump out invisible fumes.

The new detection system will be aimed at 490,000 vehicles powered by petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). These emit pollutants more difficult to spot than those from diesel-powered vehicles, which spew out black smoke.

Devices using infrared and ultraviolet beams will measure the concentrations of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

The machines will also photograph the vehicle and record its registration number and speed.

Vehicles that exceed the limits and whose owners fail to rectify the problem could be deregistered under the scheme, which will be rolled out in the next two years. Two sets of remote sensing devices will be installed 15 metres apart at each selected detection point. Two readings showing excess emissions will lead to enforcement action.

The officials have shortlisted about 100 roads and streets across the city suitable for installing the devices, which will be placed at five different spots every day on rotation. Highways and roads with multiple lanes will not be selected as the devices work best in single lane roads, such as connecting routes to busy corridors like Cotton Tree Drive and Lung Cheung Road.

Those identified will be asked to undergo detailed emission tests at designated centres for a fee, currently set at HK$310. If they fail the test and do not rectify the problem within 12 days, the vehicle’s registration might be revoked.

Environment officials hope the scheme will spur regular maintenance of vehicles, especially the 18,000 taxis and 3,000 LPG minibuses blamed for worsening nitrogen dioxide levels on roadsides.

Previous studies by the department found that 80 per cent of taxis and 45 per cent of minibuses are spewing excessive pollutants because of defective catalytic converters – devices that change toxic exhaust emissions into non-toxic substances. Some operators ignore the rule that the converters should be replaced every 100,000 kilometres, officials said.

These taxis and minibuses alone account for about 40 per cent of total nitrogen oxide emissions on busy roads.

Mok Wai-chuen, assistant director of the department, said the remote sensing technology was just one in a series of measures being taken to improve roadside air quality.

To help taxi and minibus operators cope with the new steps to enforce emissions limits, the government has earmarked HK$150 million to offer a one-off subsidy for them to replace the catalytic converters in their vehicles next year.

“The subsidy will help lift the awareness among these operators on the importance of proper maintenance,” said Mok.

The government has also pledged to help franchised bus operators fit pollution-reduction devices to older buses to cut nitrogen oxide emissions.

Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, a committee member of the Hong Kong Automobile Association, supported the remote sensing scheme but believed the penalty should be stiffer.

“It is just like drink-driving and speeding. Heavy punishment will definitely bring changes,” he said.

He said the scheme would help identify cars with excessive emissions on the city’s roads, whether they were new or old.

The measure could also force commercial vehicle operators to maintain their fleets regularly, instead of making a quick fix before the vehicle examination.

Lee also said the government should choose carefully the locations for the devices. “If it is a fixed location, drivers can simply avoid passing there or deliberately slow down their cars, just the same way as they deal with speed checks and laser guns.”

Vehicles travelling at less than 7km/h or more than 90km/h will be excluded from the checks.

chifai.cheung@scmp.com

Description: A remote sensing device is tested in Hammer Hill Road, Diamond Hill. The machines will be used to identify petrol and LPG vehicles pumping out excessive emissions.

Measures to reduce roadside pollution

Nov 15th, 2011
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http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/news.htm?main&20111115&56&798365

Measures to reduce roadside pollution
15-11-2011
The government’s planning to spend HK$150 million to replace faulty emission-reducing devices on taxis and minibuses as part of measures to reduce roadside air pollution.

This was revealed by the Environmental Protection Department which said this could bring down nitrogen dioxide by over 90 percent.

Most taxis and minibuses run on liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, instead of regular petrol, as they are more environmentally friendly.

But that’s only if the vehicles are fitted with a device called a catalytic converter, which converts toxic exhaust emissions into non-toxic substances.

An assistant director of the Environment department, Mok Wai-chuen, said currently 80 percent of the taxis and 45 percent of light buses using LPG have defective catalytic converters and are emitting pollutants excessively.

The two types of vehicles are said to account for nearly 40 percent of nitrogen oxides and 55 percent of hydrocarbons at busy roads in the urban areas.

Both pollutants are major causes of very high levels of roadside Air Pollution Index readings.

Mr Mok said although the levels of sulphur dioxide and suspended particulates at roadside air quality monitoring stations have decreased since 1999, the level of nitrogen dioxide went up by 20 percent.

Other improvement measures announced by the administration include screening out vehicles in 2013 which emit excessive smoke.

The government said it would consult stakeholders over the next two months before implementing the measures.

In Beijing, residents try to purify the pollution

Nov 14th, 2011
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http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/in-beijing-residents-try-to-purify-the-pollution

People shop for air purifiers in Beijing, where air quality has become a hot topic.

People shop for air purifiers in Beijing, where air quality has become a hot topic.

Daniel Bardsley / The National

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BEIJING // When residents of most world capitals gather, they compare flat-screen televisions, schools for their children or real estate. In Beijing, however, talk usually turns to filters and flow rates as expatriates and locals choose air purifiers to combat the pollution.

With hourly online air quality readings from the US embassy regularly rating the capital’s air as “hazardous”, pollution is a subject never far from people’s minds. In Beijing it really matters whether a Blueair or an IQAir purifier gives better results.

Dr Richard Saint Cyr, an American general practitioner who runs the My Health Beijing website, wrote that “Beijing’s internet forums are always filled with heated debates as to which air purifier is best”.

Half the most popular posts on the blog last year were linked to air pollution, among them articles comparing face masks and the most popular air purifier brands. Distribution companies dealing solely with supplying air purifiers to the capital’s residents have been set up.

Awareness among expatriates is “now very high”, says Chris Buckley, who has a doctorate in chemistry from Oxford University and runs a Beijing company selling purifiers.

He said the US embassy air quality figures, often much worse than official readings, have been key in making people more anxious. Air pollution in China kills up to 400,000 annually, a World Bank study found.

“The highest level of concern is among parents with children. Rightly so, since there are studies that show that lung development in young children is retarded by high levels of air pollution,” he said. Yet some experts believe individuals have little hope of mitigating the effects of pollution.

< a href=”http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/tn.ae_news/news_worldwide;lev1=home;sz=300×250;tile=2;ord=123456789?” target=”_blank” >< img src=”http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/tn.ae_news/news_worldwide;lev1=home;sz=300×250;tile=2;ord=123456789?” border=”0″ alt=”” />< /a>

“There’s not that much that people can do,” said Wong Tzewai, co-director of the City University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Studies and a researcher on air pollution. “The [only] idea perhaps is to spend less time outdoors and more time indoors,” he said, adding that air purifiers can “help a bit” but “there’s no good scientific study to show they do make a difference”.

Some can however remove most of the smallest particulates, according to purifier manufacturers and some Beijing consumer studies.

Certainly many people would like to be able to afford them, judging from the outrage earlier this month when it was revealed that a Chinese manufacturer, the Broad Group, has supplied hundreds of air purifiers for buildings used by senior Chinese leaders in Beijing.

“They don’t have to eat gutter oil or drink poisoned milk powder and now they’re protected from filthy air,” one microblogger was reported to have said.

There have been calls for the Chinese authorities to publish data on the concentration in the air of PM2.5s, particles of 2.5 microns or less in diameter, which have the most serious long-term health effects. Yet government pollution readings only consider larger particulates, which the body more easily filters out. Officials have recently said they will allow the public to visit Beijing’s air-quality monitoring station.

Tens of thousands of people having recently voted for the release of more rigorous air-quality information, and the authorities have said they will publish PM2.5 data, although no date has been set. Yesterday, state media reported the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning had set a target of reducing particulate pollution in several parts of the country, including Beijing, by 10 per cent by 2015.

Actually cleaning up the air, rather than merely telling people how polluted it is, is likely to pose larger challenges. “It all depends on the balance of economic progress versus environmental concerns,” said Mr Buckley. “The economy here has to deliver a lot of new jobs every year just to keep everyone employed, and social stability is regarded as paramount. With this in mind, it is unlikely that the problem will be solved overnight.”

In Hong Kong, which suffers heavy smog, there is “a complete lack of political will” over the problem, according to James Middleton, chairman of the Clear the Air pressure group. “The Hong Kong government always places the tycoons ahead of the state of the air,” he said.

A 2010 survey of Hong Kong residents found up to a quarter would consider leaving because of air pollution, sparking fears of a brain drain.

Yet even in Beijing, where the air quality is worse, many are unconcerned. Zhu Jianxing, a 43-year-old who runs a food stall next to Beijing’s second ring road, a six-lane motorway regularly clogged with traffic, said he did not worry as he was “in good health”.

“And I smoke, so why should I think about the pollution? The only thing is to stay at home. I could do that, but that means I don’t earn any money,” he said.

dbardsley@thenational.ae

Nissan Leaf May Choke in Hong Kong Smog

Nov 14th, 2011
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-14/nissan-leaf-may-choke-in-hong-kong-smog.html

Nissan Leaf Unloved in Hong Kong Where Maseratis Rule Smog

Traffic moves down a road in the central district of Hong Kong, China. Vehicles are the second-biggest source of pollution in Hong Kong after power stations, and their numbers rose 9.6 percent between 2004 and 2009, according to the government. Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg

By Bloomberg News Nov 15, 2011 2:00 AM GMT+0800Mon Nov 14 18:00:46 GMT 20110 Comments

Q

Hong Kong is small, rich and cosmopolitan. It’s also choking on smog.

For carmakers like Nissan Motor Co. that should make the city a perfect base from which to launch their electric vehicle strategy on the rest of Asia.

The snag is that the carmakers’ target market of trendsetting early adopters are proving hard to find, with Hong Kongers content to covet their neighbors’ Maseratis, Mercedes and Porsche Cayennes through the haze. Even with subsidies that are among the most generous in Asia, only 64 Nissan Leaf EVs were sold in the first nine months of the year.

“People don’t really care how much a car costs, but how great it feels,” said RahulDansanghani, 28, who drives a Mercedes S-Class sedan. “Electric vehicles are beneficial for the environment and may offer some cost savings, but the Hong Kong buyer’s main focus is luxury.”

The city recorded the fastest pace of growth in new millionaires in the world last year, according to a report by Capgemini SA and Bank of America Corp. Cracking Hong Kong takes on added importance for automakers eyeing China, the world’s largest car market, said Michael Dunne at Dunne & Co.

“Taste among the most educated and discerning Chinese customer is often shaped by what’s being bought in Hong Kong,” said Dunne, president of the Hong Kong-based industry researcher. “If carmakers can’t make them work in there, it would be difficult to envision widespread purchases in a place like China.”

China Market

China is forecast to buy more electric cars than the U.S. in 2020, driven by government subsidies and investment in charging infrastructure, The Boston Consulting Group said in a June 14 report.

Hong Kong’s government wants 30 percent of the city’s private cars to be either dual-energy, such as Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrid, or fully electric by 2020. Private buyers of electric vehicles are exempted from registration levies, which could halve the cost of some models, said Eva Wong, a spokeswoman for the Environment Bureau. Corporate purchasers enjoy additional tax incentives, she said.

Consumers in Hong Kong save about HK$292,500 ($37,600) on Nissan’s all-electric Leaf, three times the incentive in Japan and about the twice the amount in China, according to company and government estimates. That still puts a price tag of about HK$420,000 ($54,000) on the car, about the same as a basic Mercedes E-Class sedan in Hong Kong.

Charging Stations

While most people in the 1,104-square-kilometer (426 square miles) territory use their cars for small journeys, easing concerns over the limited range of EVs, the paucity of charging stations acts as another deterrent.

Most of the city’s 7.1 million people live in high-rise apartments that lack recharging points for their batteries. About 330 top-up points have been installed in commercial and residential properties, with another 200 planned in the coming months, according to the environment bureau. That makes it harder to top up the battery overnight.

“Many people have shown interest but they are stuck by the charging,” said Elven Leung, a senior manager with Nissan Hong Kong, whose dealers have run five test-driving events for the public.

Nissan’s shares rose 2 percent at the close of trading in Tokyo today, while the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 1.1 percent.

Government Support

The government will more than triple the number of public car-charging stations to 1,000 by next June from 300 now, Environment Secretary Edmond Yau said on Sept. 6.

Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan’s Hong Kong sales compare with 7,256 in its home market and 15,576 globally, according to the company. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (7211) delivered about 100 of its i-MiEV minicar in Hong Kong since it started taking orders in October 2009.

For all their presumed benefits, Hong Kong buyers may also be paying a premium for a battery-charged vehicle that will have a negligible impact on traffic fumes, according to Marco Gerrits, a Beijing-based partner at BCG.

Vehicles are the second-biggest source of pollution in Hong Kong after power stations, and their numbers rose 9.6 percent between 2004 and 2009, according to the government. More than two-thirds of the city’s buses will be European Union II emission standard or less at the end of 2011, according to the Clean Air Network, a Hong Kong-based advocacy group.

Roadside Smog

Replacing 90 percent of the current fleet on the road with vehicles that meet the European Union V standards — the most stringent of five classes — would be more effective than boosting plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles to a tenth of all automobiles, Gerrits said.

Pollution is linked to 4,800 additional deaths in the former British colony between 2007 and 2010, according to the University of Hong Kong. Roadside smog reached “very high” levels for a record one in four days in 2010.

The government’s target for low-emission buses is 15 percent by 2020. Hong Kong set up a state-funded HK$300 million fund in March to subsidize electric vehicles adoption by public transport operators.

“It’s decisive that the government supports electric vehicles,” said Claus Weidner, Chief Operating Officer of Mercedes Benz’s Hong Kong unit, which started test driving a fleet of Smart-brand electric cars in September. “It’s a money and a tax question. This makes it easier for consumers to come into this market.”

For Dansanghani, the Hong Kong resident, a decision to go electric rests on the brand.

“If they started to get luxury car brands like Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche to create their own electric cars, that possibly could attract more customers.” he said

Children and Climate Change

Nov 14th, 2011
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Children’s Vulnerability to Climate
Change and Disaster Impacts in
East Asia and the Pacific

Children’s Vulnerability to ClimateChange and Disaster Impacts inEast Asia and the Pacific

Download PDF : Climate_Change_Regional_Report_14_Nov_final

Qantas plans bio-fuel flight

Nov 13th, 2011
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http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/qantas-plans-biofuel-flight-20111114-1nfa1.html

November 14, 2011 – 4:08PM

Qantas ... short-term pain for long-term gain.

Qantas is looking to a more environmentally friendly future.

Qantas will run Australia’s first commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel, CEO Alan Joyce has told an aviation conference in Brisbane today.

“In early 20102, Qantas plans to operate a commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel,” Mr Joyce said.

“This is by no means the first bio-fuel flight, but it will be first flight of its kind in Australia.”

This year, Qantas signed agreements with two leading manufacturers of sustainable aircraft fuel.

Solazyme is working with algae-based aviation fuels and Solena is experimenting with water-based fuels.

“We want the flight to be an inspiration, a preview of a sustainable future for Australian aviation,” Mr Joyce said.

“This country certainly has the human capital, the finance and the resources to be a global leader in bringing new kinds of aviation fuel to market.”

In his keynote address to the Australian Airports Association Conference in Brisbane this morning, Mr Joyce said Qantas was improving fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent each year.

“Through a strategy that includes fleet renewal, new technology, fuel optimisation, and reducing resources,” he said.

“While these initiatives can achieve significant improvements, only the production of sustainable aviation fuel on a commercial basis can deliver a generational step in emissions reduction.”

In July this year, Virgin boss Richard Branson also told conference delegates in Brisbane that Virgin was exploring the use of eucalyptus oil from gum trees as an aviation fuel.

Virgin’s plans to have an Australian-based testing facility in place in 2013 and a “commercial” scale production facility in place by 2014.

Mr Joyce’s visit today to Brisbane coincided with a protest at the city’s airport by Qantas workers concerned about airline’s push to use contract workers.

Australia’s top labour tribunal, Fair Work Australia, has ordered the airline to reach an agreement with unions representing its long-haul pilots, licensed aircraft engineers, baggage handlers and catering staff.

Following months of negotiations and employee industrial action, the labour dispute climaxed on October 29, when Qantas announced it would lock out workers and ground its fleet.

The federal government called on Fair Work Australia to step in, which terminated workers’ industrial action. The federal government supported the decision.

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association last week launched a challenge in the Federal Court against the ban, but Mr Joyce is confident they won’t win.

“I’m not losing any sleep,” he said.

“I think the government have made themselves very clear that the pilot action, they don’t believe, is going to get through.

“The government believes that their case is robust, that the pilots’ action isn’t going to make any difference.”

However, he said talks would continue with the unions over this weekend before Monday’s deadline of the 21-day “action-free” period set by Fair Work Australia.

And Mr Joyce flagged a fresh focus on the domestic travel sector.

In response to questions this morning, Mr Joyce said Australia’s “fly-in fly-out” market was “top of the radar screen” for Qantas domestic market.

He said 10 new aircraft would be directed to meeting the “fly-in, fly-out” jobs market generated by Queensland’s resources boom.

“In a big capital commitment we will have 10 additional aircraft over the next 18 months to build up our core presence in that sector,” Mr Joyce said.

He said Qantas was now talking to all mining companies in the sector, including industry giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

“We can offer incentives for the fly-in, fly-out business accounts. A lot of those miners are members of the Qantas Club,” he said.

Mr Joyce said it gave Qantas the ability leverage discounted flights for central Queensland’s “fly-in, fly-out market.”

“So we see this as a segment that Qantas is interested in maximising its share in and we are investing very heavily in people and aircraft and resources,” Mr Joyce said.

“We believe it will be extremely profitable as we go forward.

“And it is very much top of our radar screen in the domestic market.”

Qantas is planning to invest $5.3 billion in the next two years, with “75 to 80 per cent” dedicated to fleet upgrades.

On Wednesday, Qantas will mark 91 years of commercial aviation by putting on show one of its 787 Dreamliners at Sydney and Melbourne.

– with AAP

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/qantas-plans-biofuel-flight-20111114-1nfa1.html#ixzz1dgOOYaro

Hydrogen bus launched on London tourist route

Nov 13th, 2011
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UK’s first permanent hydrogen bus described as ‘stepping stone’ to rolling out the clean technology across the country

Description: London Hydrogen Bus

The hydrogen bus being trialled on the RV1 route in London last year. Photograph: Alamy

The UK’s first permanent hydrogen bus will be launched on a popular tourist route in London today. Seven more hydrogen buses will be added to the RV1 route – which takes in Covent Garden, the Tower of London and the South Bank – by mid-2011.

The initiative, which follows a trial of three hydrogen buses in the capital between 2003 and 2007, has been described as a “stepping stone” to rolling out the technology across the country. The launch will also coincide with the opening of the UK’s largest hydrogen refuelling station in Leyton, east London.

The new bus, which was designed specially for London, will begin carrying passengers tomorrow. It produces water vapour from its tailpipe and can operate for more than 18 hours without needing to refuel.

“These are the next generation of hydrogen fuel cell hybrid buses that were designed and developed based on the findings of our trial,” said David Edwards, a spokesperson for Transport for London. “We will be closely assessing the performance of these buses and the new technology they use. Should the buses prove reliable and suitable for the needs of London we could consider extending the fleet.”

The buses contain batteries that can store electricity generated by the hydrogen fuel cell – a device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce power and water as a by-product – in addition to energy generated during the braking process. As a result, they can travel much farther than the ones trialled in London as part of the EU-sponsored Cute – Cleaner Urban Transport for Europe – project in 2003. The new buses were designed by the consortium of businesses that furnished Vancouver with a fleet of 39 buses in 2009. “The main difference is that those buses were designed to withstand temperatures below -20C,” said David Hart, a hydrogen fuel expert based at Imperial College who was involved in Cute.

More than 4,300 deaths are caused in London by poor air quality every year, costing around £2bn a year. The new buses will go some way towards tackling this dire problem, says Hart. “All that comes out of these buses is water vapour, so you don’t get all of the nasty nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter that diesel buses pump out into the air.” The buses may also reduce carbon emissions – but only if the hydrogen they run on is generated using renewable electricity rather than electricity produced by burning coal, he said.

One key hurdle to rolling out the buses across the UK is cost – but Edwards is optimistic that the situation will improve soon. “This technology is currently very new, with these buses being designed to suit the London operating environment. As such, with development costs, these buses are typically more expensive than their traditional hybrid diesel counterpart. But as the technology is proven along with the environment benefits they bring, the commercial market for these buses should open up and we expect the costs to drop dramatically,” he said.

London is one of a handful of cities around the world to adopt hydrogen buses. In May 2003, Madridbecame the first city in the world to run a regular hydrogen bus service. Hamburg, Perth and Reykjavik quickly followed suit. Berlin’s Clean Energy Partnership project, which began in 2006, aims to put 14 hydrogen buses and 40 hydrogen cars on the road by 2016. The largest hydrogen project in the world – the Hydrogen Highway – is based in California and has so far built 30 refuelling stations. In December 2009, Amsterdam also launched Nemo H2, a tour boat powered by hydrogen.

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