BUS2Green: Paving the Way for Greener Public Transportation
Despite the EU's increasingly stringent emission targets, many countries, including Greece, grapple with the realities of maintaining large fleets of internal combustion engine buses. The prohibitive cost of transitioning to electric buses necessitates alternative approaches for reducing fossil fuel consumption and decrease CO2 emissions. The BUS2GREEN-projectsaims to address this challenge and contribute to a significant reduction in the environmental footprint of public transportation, through the development of a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
Partnering with the Greek electronic energy equipment company Dimosthenes Stampas & SIA EE (“Power Sales”) and Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), InDigital has designed and developed a “hybridization kit” that reduces fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This “kit” incorporates various technologies to achieve its goals, including photovoltaics (PV panels) installed in the roof and windows of the bus as well as a smart solution for the management and storage of energy produced. The strategic partnership brings diverse expertise to the project, with “Power Sales” responsible for the prototyping while DUTH contributes with expertise in modelling, simulation, and design.
The projected outcomes of BUS2GREEN are ambitious and impactful. Aligning with the broader goals of promoting electromobility in Europe and fostering a green and efficient public transportation system, the project is expected to result in a 20% reduction in fossil fuel consumption and an annual decrease in CO2 emissions of 7,600 tons. The project also aims to create jobs and lead to the submission of an Intellectual Property Rights application, in addition to contributing to InDigital SA’s profitability and competitiveness.
Panagiotis Kaddas, R&D Projects Supervisor of InDigital SA, emphasizes the importance of the financial support from the EEA Grants through the “Business Innovation Greece”-programme. Commenting on the project, he states “"We are beyond grateful for the support from EEA Grants, which has been instrumental in bringing our vision to life. The funding provided has allowed us to design and develop our innovative hybridization kit - a major step in promoting sustainable transportation, not only within Greece but with a global perspective. The progress that we have already achieved in a short period was crucial for the sustainability of the BUS2GREEN project, and we could not have done it without the support from EEA Grants."
Financed by the EEA Grants through the “Business Innovation Greece”-programme, the BUS2GREEN project are paving the way for a more sustainable future of public transportation. Addressing the challenges of an aging bus fleet and providing a sustainable and cost-effective hybridization solution, the BUS2GREEN-project contributes to meeting EU emission targets, in addition to increasing the company’s competitiveness.