Cannes deploys first hydrogen buses — fuelled with hydrogen from treated wastewater

The Cannes Lerins metropolitan authority on the French Riviera has put its first fourteen hydrogen buses into service on the Palm Bus network. This makes Cannes the first city in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region to operate hydrogen buses fuelled with locally produced green hydrogen.

Hydrogen from wastewater

The hydrogen is produced at a brand-new station built by Hynamics, a subsidiary of energy company EDF. The station generates hydrogen through electrolysis with a capacity of 800 kilograms per day. What makes it distinctive is the water source: the station uses treated wastewater from the nearby Aquaviva water treatment plant rather than drinking water. The electricity comes from the French low-carbon grid and is fully covered by guarantees of renewable origin.

Construction began in July 2025, using pre-assembled equipment to shorten build time. The station is the first carbon-free hydrogen production facility using electrolysis in the entire PACA region.

Iveco Bus with Hyundai fuel cell

The buses are Iveco Bus GX 337 H2 LINIUM BRT models, equipped with a fuel cell system from HTWO (Hyundai Motor Group's hydrogen division) and a battery pack from FPT Industrial (Iveco Group). According to the manufacturer, the mid-power design uses 15 to 20 per cent less hydrogen than the market standard, while offering passenger capacity of up to 110.

Iveco Bus received the order for twelve buses in September 2024 — the second hydrogen order from Cannes. Deliveries began in the second half of 2025.

From 14 to 41 buses

The current fourteen hydrogen buses represent the first phase. The fleet will ultimately grow to 41 hydrogen buses. These complement the 35 battery-electric Iveco buses already operating on the Palm Bus network. Cannes already achieved a fully decarbonised bus fleet of 107 vehicles in June 2023, running on electricity and biofuels. The hydrogen buses are the next step in that strategy.

The annual CO2 saving from the full hydrogen project is estimated at approximately 3,228 tonnes.

Local ecosystem as a model

The Cannes project exemplifies what analysts call a local hydrogen ecosystem: production, distribution and use come together in one location, with short supply chains and contracted demand. The partners — Hynamics (EDF), Banque des Territoires and SEM Green Energy — form a public-private consortium funding both production and infrastructure.

For a medium-sized city like Cannes (approximately 75,000 inhabitants), this is an ambitious yet achievable model. The lesson: hydrogen in public transport need not wait for large national programmes. With the right local partners, clear fleet demand and smart resource choices — such as treated wastewater — it can happen now.

Sources

• Fuel Cells Works, 8 June 2026 — The first buses powered by renewable hydrogen are now operating in the Cannes area
• Hynamics (EDF), 24 July 2025 — Completion of the first carbon-free hydrogen station in the PACA region
• Sustainable Bus, 9 September 2024 — 12 fuel cell buses by Iveco Bus headed to Cannes
• Iveco Group, 30 September 2024 — New contracts for hydrogen and battery electric buses in France
• Quantum Commodity Intelligence, 8 June 2026 — Cannes launches first renewable hydrogen buses