Transitioning the Burlington Transit fleet to fuel cell electric buses

With its strategic location between Toronto and Hamilton in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area of Southern Ontario, the City of Burlington is positioned for growth. The city's 2015–2040 Strategic Plan defines economic growth, mobility, and environmental preservation as three strategic directions for Burlington. Green infrastructure and public service facilities, multi-modal and sustainable transportation, and the development of a low-carbon, energy-secure and climate-resilient community have been identified as key to achieving this strategic vision. To support Burlington’s efforts in reducing its carbon footprint, the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) has proposed to simulate the operations of fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) on Burlington Transit blocks and routes using some of the results from a previously completed similar study on battery electric buses (BEBs). The focus of this feasibility study would be to analyze techno-economic and life-cycle emissions associated with transitioning Burlington Transit's fleet to FCEBs across all existing routes and blocks. This study will be carried out using CUTRIC's internally developed predictive modelling tool, RoutΣ.i™. This tool incorporates operational conditions such as route maps, transit schedules, weather, and passenger-loading to determine the feasibility and benefits of adopting FCEBs based on existing technology. Some of the key aspects of the proposed study are as follows: · In-depth literature review of FCEBs in the global technology landscape. · Energy, economy, and greenhouse gas emissions analysis of FCEB deployment across Burlington Transit's routes. · Analysis considering charging time/schedule for BEBs and fueling episodes for FCEBs. The results of this study will help guide the City of Burlington in identifying the potential development of new public transit services and hubs, which will help enhance future mobility and accessibility. Innovative aspect(s): · This study will model what the requirements are for using FCEB systems in Canada · A hydrogen-production method will be used to assess life-cycle emissions footprints Replicability: Many other municipalities across Canada have developed, or are in the process of developing, a plan to transition their fleets to zero-emissions buses. This study’s feasibility analysis model along with the research parameters and questions would be very relevant to other municipalities. (Project description from original funding application)