The lack of components for recharging points has prevented the start-up of a forty of Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) buses since the end of May, out of the 72 that were supposed to operate. The war in Ukraine and the effects that the covid is still carrying are affecting the supply of some components for the installation of the charging points that the winning companies had the commitment to deliver before May 30. This situation has meant that of the last 72 electric buses received, 23 articulated and 8 standard buses have been put into service.
The company's technical departments and suppliers are working hard so that in the coming weeks, and progressively, the remaining 41 buses can enter service.
The electrification process of the bus fleet is endowed with aid from European Next Generation funds. Specifically, in the calls of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA), TMB has obtained, for the moment, financial aid for the acquisition of 128 electric buses. The amounts that TMB will receive from the European aid for the two calls exceed 60 million euros.
In order to obtain the aid, there are very demanding supply commitments that are being met by TMB. An important part of the buses are already in circulation with the corresponding electric recharging system (some nightly charging and others opportunity charging at the terminals of the line), operating at full capacity, except for those that are still in the bidding or manufacturing phase.
TMB plans to have 25% of the fleet zero emissions in 2024. In the coming year, the new fleet will already have 232 100% electric vehicles and 44 hydrogen buses, which will allow TMB to reduce 4,785 tons of CO₂ emissions and 22 tons of CO₂ emissions.
Energy efficiency policies are part of the objectives of TMB's 2025 Strategic Plan aligned with the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Plan and the 2030 Agenda. For this reason, it has drawn up an economic efficiency and savings plan that promotes a series of projects and actions in the company to reduce electricity consumption by 60 G2/2000/2010 and 2010. equivalent to the electricity consumption of 21,250 households in Catalonia during one year.
