Universiade to help promote hydrogen-fueled vehicles

CHENGDU — The upcoming Universiade in Sichuan province will provide another opportunity for China to promote hydrogen-fueled vehicles, after a previous demonstration at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics garnered attention.

A fleet of 80 hydrogen-powered buses will shuttle athletes and venue workers around during the 31st International University Sports Federation Summer World University Games — also known as Universiade — which are scheduled from July 28 to Aug 8 in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, according to the organizers.

The fleet in Chengdu — a pilot city in western China that has served as a showcase for the commercial use of hydrogen-powered vehicles since 2017 — is equipped with hydrogen fuel-cells independently developed by Dongfang Electric Corp, a power generation equipment manufacturer based in the provincial capital.

The hydrogen-powered bus can travel 450 kilometers on a single charge, with the average hydrogen fuel consumption per 100 km measured at only 4 kilograms.

During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, 710 hydrogen-powered vehicles were put into operation in Beijing's co-host city of Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, realizing the largest deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for demonstration purposes in the history of the Olympic Games.

Following the Universiade, Sichuan is expected to hold the 2023 World Clean Energy Equipment Conference in the city of Deyang. World-famous companies such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Framatome and ABB have registered to participate in the event to share development opportunities.

Xinhua