Decarbonizing STIB’s bus fleet: a multi-criteria comparison of battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses
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- This study aims to determine which bus technology is more suitable for the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB) to progressively replace its diesel bus fleet. It compares battery electric buses (BEBs) and fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) from three perspectives: environmental performance, economic feasibility, and practicality of use in STIB’s operational context. The analysis combines a life cycle assessment (LCA), a total cost of ownership (TCO) calculation, a semi-structured interview with STIB representatives, and a multi-criteria analysis (MCA). The LCA results show that environmental performance depends strongly on the electricity mix and hydrogen production pathway. Under a future low-carbon Belgian electricity mix and green hydrogen, FCEBs achieve lower life-cycle emissions than BEBs, with 0.21 kg CO₂e/km compared with 0.30 kg CO₂e/km. However, this advantage disappears when hydrogen is produced from fossil sources. The TCO analysis shows a clear economic advantage for BEBs. Over a 15-year lifetime and 675,000 km of operation, BEBs have an estimated cost of €1.19/km, compared with €1.84/km for FCEBs. This difference is mainly driven by the current high cost of green hydrogen relative to electricity. The qualitative interview results indicate that BEBs are currently more practical for STIB, as they are already integrated into the fleet and supported by existing electrification plans. FCEBs offer advantages in range and refuelling time, but face barriers related to hydrogen supply chain reliability, depot adaptation, and maintenance complexity. The MCA confirms that BEBs are the more suitable option for STIB in the short to medium term, with a final score of 0.94 compared with 0.76 for FCEBs. Although FCEBs may become more competitive if green hydrogen costs decrease and hydrogen supply improves, BEBs currently provide a more feasible pathway for STIB’s transition toward sustainable public transport.