The Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE), Ecological City Transport System (ECTOS) and the Sustainable Transport Energy Programme (STEP) projects have released figures revealing that its 33 fuel cell buses covered a combined distance of over 42,000 km up to 3rd November 2004.

Representing around 33,000 hours of operation, the fleet consumed some 44,000 kg of the zero-emission hydrogen, according to the figures which were released as part of the 2nd International Fuel Cell Bus Workshop held in the Portuguese city of Porto on 18th - 20th November.

The Fuel Cell Bus Club comprises the three EU clean transport projects, which now boast the largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses in the world, and are responsible for the operation and management of their fleets and the hydrogen refuelling infrastructures in their cities.

Established in June of this year, the Task Force for Security and Safety is a complimentary organisation designed to monitor and uphold the development of communications and improved safety levels of the three projects.

Members of the task force are now meeting every six months, coinciding with the meetings of the CUTE, ECTOS and STEP projects.

The distance the vehicles have covered and the size of the fleets involved points to a growing maturity in the fuel cell sector.