Central Queensland’s Emerald Coaches is targeting zero-emissions with a $100 million plan to introduce hydrogen fuel cell electric buses to their fleet from next year.

The regional transport operator said its diesel-powered vehicles currently used more than a million litres of fuel every year, producing 3100 tonnes of greenhouse emissions.

Under the e-Mission Zero project, it plans to replace the entire fleet with hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles producing zero emissions by 2040.

Green hydrogen will be produced at Emerald Coaches using rainwater captured onsite with a renewable powered
electrolyser generating hydrogen.

“Australia’s transport industry is one of the most energy intensive in the world. We believe renewable hydrogen is the
future of the transport industry,” Emerald Coaches director Michael Baulch said.

“It’s a natural gas that is extracted from water making it a completely clean and sustainable fuel source. The only thing to come out of the exhaust is water.”

Related: Heavy hydrogen fleet lined up for Townsville

Emerald Coaches is based in Emerald and Mackay, with a fleet of 120 vehicles supplying passenger transport to the mining and resource sector as well as charter services.

The first two vehicles are planned for 2022, with the entire fleet to be powered by hydrogen fuel cell electricity by 2040.

As the largest provider of school bus services in the Central Highlands, the company will complete more than one
million passenger trips per annum on hydrogen powered buses starting at the end of 2022.

State Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey congratulated Emerald Coaches for its $100 million commitment to convert their diesel buses to hydrogen fuel cell buses.

While the hydrogen-powered buses are the jewel in the crown of their e-Mission Zero strategy, Emerald Coaches will
implement other energy efficiency measures.

This will include 100 per cent renewable power, recycling and rainwater systems, paperless office systems and water efficient mobile vehicle washing units.

Emerald Coaches said its hydrogen-powered buses would have a range of 800km and would take just 10 minutes to refuel as compared to a battery electric vehicle with a range of 400km and a refuelling time of three hours or more.