Three new fuel-cell buses hit the streets of Beijing yesterday, bringing emissions-free fuel-cell based public transportation to China for the first time.

After over 3,000 kilometers of test runs and security checks, today, the buses officially begin running their 18.2 kilometer route from the North Gate of the Summer Palace to the Wudaokou area.

"Today marks the first public operation of fuel-cell buses in Beijing, it is the first ever in China, and one of the first in a developing country," said Renaud Meyer, Deputy Resident Representative in China for UNDP. "The hydrogen refueling station, to be fully operational this summer, will also be the first of its kind in China.

Fuel-cell vehicles hold the prospect for zero tailpipe emissions of major air pollutants such as CO, NOx, HCs. They will not only serve to reduce the burden on the environment through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but will offer a new solution for dealing with the depletion of fossil fuels.

Meyer stressed that the Fuel-Cell Bus project also reflects UNDP's strong emphasis on multi-stakeholder participation and partnerships. Partners for this US$30 million initiative include the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) for providing financial and management support; DaimlerChrysler and Ballard for providing the Fuel-Cell Buses; BP and Sino-Hytec for the construction of the hydrogen-refueling station; and the Beijing Public Transportation Corporation for setting the routes and operating the buses.

In Beijing and Shanghai, public buses are among one of the major contributors to air pollution. This eight-year, 2-phased project attempts to lay a foundation for addressing this problem. Phase II of the project, to start in late-2006, will launch three additional fuel cell buses and construct a hydrogen refueling station for demonstration and operation in Shanghai.

In Beijing, the project will expand the hydrogen refueling station, and use data from the operation of the three buses to support efforts to commercialize fuel-cell technology.

Despite considerable efforts and significant achievements in China to combat air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, China continues to rank second among the world's largest oil consuming countries. Coal combustion and oil consumption, the two primary sources of air pollution, constitute at least 90% of China's total energy use.

The transport sector, which relies almost entirely on oil, is projected to account for most of China's new demand for oil over the next 20 years. It is predicted that by 2010, the percentage of emissions from big cities will represent 64% of total emissions from all cities in China.

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