International operator Keolis Downer has won a contract to implement a fully electric fleet in northern Denmark from next year onwards
Multimodal transport operator Keolis Downer has won a 100 per cent electric suburban bus network in Northern Denmark.
The Northern Denmark public transport authority Nordjyllands Trafikselskab (NT) awarded Keolis Downer the new contract to operate and maintain a fossil-free network of 31 buses in Northern Jutland, which covers Aalborg and its surroundings.
The contract begins on August 1 this year and will be valid for 10 years plus an option for six years.
By August 1, 2023, Keolis Downer will electrify the entire fleet to ride the seven routes in the area that connect to Denmark’s fourth-largest city in Aalborg.
Buses are a primary means of transport in the Danish region that has a population of 500,000, as the buses on these routes cover around four million kilometres each year.
Keolis Downer, through the contract, will also contribute to the renewal of the network’s fleet as it plans to run exclusively on electric powered by April 1, 2023.
The new buses to be used are the 3.0 model launched by Ebusco in late 2021, which is made from composite material and carbon parts to reduce the weight of the bus and allow for higher passenger capacity and longer range.
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The Tylstrup depot will be equipped with charging infrastructure for approximately 10 electric vehicles, while Keolis Downer will take on 90 new staff as part of the contract, including 80 drivers.
Keolis Downer says this contract strengthens its status as an operator of carbon-free public transport in Denmark and illustrates the Keolis Group’s current dynamic in the country.
This contract follows moves in 2021, when Keolis introduced a fleet of 20 electric buses in Odense in May and a network of 42 electric buses were introduced to the Greater Copenhagen area in June.
Keolis Downer also operated a network of 67 buses running on HVO biofuel in the Northern Jutland region from August last year.
Keolis Downer has been present in Denmark since 2007 and operates around 550 buses in more than 10 Danish cities, as well as the country’s first tram network in Aarhus.