In Hamburg, Siemens will again support Hamburger Hochbahn, one of Germany’s largest public transport companies, carrying over 1.2 million passengers a day on four subway and 119 bus lines.
In Saarlouis, Siemens will enable the smooth transition to electric buses for Kreisverkehrsbetriebe Saarlouis (KVS).
The projects include planning, installing the charging infrastructure and integrating it into the medium-voltage grid. This is complemented by multi-year maintenance contracts.
Following a resolution of the Senate of Hamburg, Hamburger Hochbahn has exclusively been purchasing e-buses since 2020 and has set a goal of operating a completely emission-free bus fleet by 2030. From 2021 to 2023, Siemens successfully equipped two carports at the Alsterdorf bus depot with a total of 141 Sicharge UC charging points as well as medium- and low-voltage technology, including Sivacon S8 low-voltage switchgear. This includes the implementation of an energy-efficient ventilation concept with separate air ducting for the cold and warm air volumes, which significantly boosts energy savings during charging.
In March 2023, Siemens received an order from Hamburger Hochbahn to equip the Harburg II bus depot for DC charging of its growing e-bus fleet. To this end, a total of 20 Sicharge UC charging points, each with a nominal power of 150 kW, will be installed on five lanes. Siemens will create working and implementation planning based on the customer’s planning specifications. The chargers will be mounted outdoors in conjunction with a truss system spanning the bus lanes with standard CCS connector technology. The project scope also includes delivery, installation, and commissioning of a transformer station for integration into the medium-voltage grid, as well as the necessary communications technology for integration into the bus company’s charging and depot management system.
In addition, Siemens is working with Hamburger Hochbahn to implement advanced requirements to optimise network and charging infrastructure management for the depots. Also, there are already considerations to enable bidirectional power flows in the long term.
Currently, Hamburger Hochbahn has more than 250 battery-electric buses, including articulated buses with a length of 18 metres, space for more than 130 passengers, and a minimum range of approximately 250 kms without stopping for charging.
In Saarlouis, a city in the west of Germany, Siemens will enable the smooth transition to electric buses for Kreisverkehrsbetriebe Saarlouis (KVS). This entails the gradual conversion of the KVS bus depot.
In the first stage, Siemens will install the charging infrastructure for 20 vehicles deploying 20 Sicharge UC charging points, each with 150kW nominal power, and 20 dispensers. The charging infrastructure will be connected to the power grid infrastructure via a 12 kV grid transfer station, 12 kV medium-voltage distribution equipment, transformer stations, and low-voltage distribution equipment. Siemens will handle delivery, installation, including civil engineering work, and commissioning. The project includes a maintenance contract for five years.
The first conversion phase is scheduled to be completed by spring 2024. In a subsequent step, it will offer the potential for expansion to 70 buses. The service area of KVS covers the district of Saarlouis, a transport area with a population of around 200,000. Other lines lead to neighbouring cities and districts, and in some cases cross the border into France.
