(4 May 2023, Hong Kong) — Citybus Limited ("Citybus") has officially received an “agreement-in-principle” from the government's Inter-departmental Working Group on using Hydrogen as Fuel' for their applications relating to the first hydrogen fuel cell double-decker bus and the first hydrogen refuelling station in Hong Kong. CIMC Enric Holdings Limited ("CIMC Enric") and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") (Hong Kong stock code: 3899.HK) have announced that a subsidiary, CIMC Hydrogen Energy Technology (Beijing) Co, Ltd. ("CIMC Hydrogen"), will supply and install the refuelling station which will be operational alongside the hydrogen bus later this year, opening a new chapter for Hong Kong's hydrogen strategy.
The projects will now progress on both type approval and construction respectively, and are planned to be the first operational hydrogen vehicle and refuelling station in Hong Kong's history later this year. Citybus' plan is to build Hong Kong's first-ever hydrogen refuelling station in its West Kowloon Depot which was announced in October 2022. The station, backed and supported by Citybus' shareholders, Templewater and Hans Energy, will be able to provide hydrogen refuelling services for their hydrogen bus. Following the previous bid for the on-vehicle hydrogen supply system of Citybus' hydrogen buses, CIMC Hydrogen once again won the supply and installation contract of Hong Kong's first hydrogen refueling station with outstanding strength, further opening up Hong Kong's vast hydrogen energy transportation market.
CIMC Enric Hydrogen Business Centre CEO & CIMC Hydrogen President Ms. Yang Baoying said, "lt is a great honor to provide hydrogen equipment and integrated solutions for Citybus' first hydrogen refuelling station in Hong Kong. The two parties have joined hands again after the previous cooperation of the world's first tri-axle double-decker hydrogen-powered bus. As the industry's leading equipment supplier covering the entire hydrogen energy industry chain, CIMC Hydrogen will spare no effort to serve Hong Kong with the highest standard of products and solutions. We look forward to continuing to work with Citybus and other industry partners to expand the extensive hydrogen energy industry chain market in Hong Kong under the promotion of the Hong Kong government.”
Citybus Operations & Engineering Director Mr. Vincent Fung said: "We are grateful that the inter-departmental Working Group has given an agreement-in-principle to the applications for both of our projects. This is a vote of confidence in our vision for zero-emissions which our skilled team has spent countless hours on undertaking research, development and stakeholder engagement. Now our focus is bringing both the bus and the refuelling station into operation later this year." He continued, “Citybus shareholder Hans Energy will fund the construction of this hydrogen refuelling station and we are delighted to work with CIMC Hydrogen again, after the success of our hydrogen bus project CIMC Hydrogen is an internationally renowned refuelling station supplier. We believe their state-of-the-art technology will set the standard of a safe and efficient hydrogen refuelling system in Hong Kong.
Citybus Shareholder Templewater Partner and Head of lmpact lnvesting Dr. Yufeng Wan said, "We are proud to support this ground-breaking zero-emission initiative in Hong Kong Collaborating with esteemed partners such as CIMC Hydrogen, Hans Energy and Citybus we are thrilled to be part of a project that has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about transportation and energy. Dr. Wan continued, “We are particularly pleased that the Hong Kong government is supportive and provided their "agreement-in-principle" for the hydrogen refuelling station and hydrogen bus to go into operation in Hong Kong. This is a significant step forward in achieving our shared vision of a cleaner, more sustainable future for Hong Kong and beyond. At Templewater, we are committed to investing and driving innovation and progress in the energy sector. This project represents a key milestone in our efforts to develop and promote cutting-edge technologies that can help to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.”
Citybus Shareholder Hans Energy Company CEO Mr. Yang Dong said, “Hans Energy is delighted to contribute to Hong Kong's zero-emission goal as the first hydrogen refuelling station investor in Hong Kong. This marks a significant milestone as our company transitions towards new energy business from traditional energy business.