Rebus Rostock's hydrogen buses pass 3 million kilometres in scheduled service

The hydrogen bus fleet of German transit operator Rebus Regionalbus Rostock has reached a fine milestone. Since late 2024, its 52 fuel-cell buses have together covered more than 3 million kilometres in regular scheduled service. As of 31 May 2026, the counter stood at exactly 3,013,504 kilometres. The buses run in and around Güstrow and Rostock in north-east Germany.

One of Germany's largest hydrogen fleets

Rebus handles public transport across the entire Rostock district, with a fleet of around 180 vehicles across 82 city and regional lines and roughly 9 million scheduled kilometres per year. In 2023, the company decided on the largest bus order in its history: 52 hydrogen buses, at once a switch to a new drivetrain technology.

The order comprises 47 solo buses (Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen) and 5 articulated buses (Urbino 18 hydrogen), powered by fuel cells from Canada's Ballard Power Systems. The first fifteen buses hit the road in early October 2024; the rest followed before the end of that year. This made Rebus one of the largest operators of hydrogen buses in Germany, and one of the largest in Europe.

Practice exceeds expectations

For Rebus, the introduction was a huge undertaking. Where the company normally received 10 to 12 new buses per year, it now had to put 52 into service at once. Even so, the transition went smoothly. Managing Director Thomas Nienkerk calls the milestone an achievement by the entire team, noting that the vehicles have even exceeded expectations.

A full tank gives the buses a range of around 500 kilometres. That makes hydrogen well suited to regional transport, where buses run long days and cover substantial distances. Fast refuelling keeps the timetable running smoothly: topping up a bus takes about ten minutes.

100 percent green hydrogen, locally produced

The buses run entirely on green hydrogen, produced locally by H2APEX in Rostock-Laage. That hydrogen is RFNBO-certified under EU guidelines and made using electricity from the company's own 11.5 MWp solar park. H2APEX handles the entire chain: production, refuelling infrastructure, logistics and daily operation.

Refuelling takes place at stations at the depots in Güstrow and Bad Doberan, with stationary storage and supply via hydrogen trailers. The fleet now makes up almost a third of all Rebus vehicles, accounting for around a quarter of all fuel-cell buses in Germany.

Why this matters

The milestone shows that hydrogen in public transport works reliably and at scale. More than 3 million kilometres in daily service is no longer a pilot, but proven practice. The project was made possible in part by support from the German Ministry for Digital and Transport and a contribution from the Rostock district, with a total investment of around €40 million.

Alongside battery-electric, hydrogen is a strong zero-emission solution for public transport. For lines with long routes and full operating days, a long range and fast refuelling offer clear advantages. That a region like Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania converts its own wind and solar energy into local hydrogen for buses completes the chain: clean, home-grown energy put straight to work on the road.

Sources:

• Ballard Power Systems – LinkedIn post on the 3 million kilometre milestone (July 2026)

• Ballard blog – Transit operator Rebus joins zero-emission drive, powered by Ballard (January 2025)

• NOW GmbH – Rebus hydrogen fleet set to welcome 52 new hydrogen buses (October 2024)

• Urban Transport Magazine – Rostock District: 52 Solaris hydrogen buses for Rebus (February 2025)

• Sustainable Bus – 52 fuel cell buses delivered to Rostock (March 2025)

• H2APEX – Regionalbus Rostock: mobility with green hydrogen