Graz: future bus depot will produce solar energy on-site to charge green vehicles

The development project itself is modular and sustainable and can be built in increments

Last week, authorities in Graz, Austria, announced a new project to create a specialised bus depot for electric and hydrogen buses.

According to an official statement, the city’s current depot for public transportation cannot cope with the needs of zero-carbon alternatives. This makes the expansion necessary, as green alternatives to current models are only set to become more numerous in the future.

Additionally, city officials say that the project for the new facility is supposed to have renewable energy production in the form of solar, but it should also be able to accommodate hydrogen vehicles.

Sustainable expansion

According to local officials in Graz, the current bus depot houses 173 buses and cannot be expanded further. This is why the city launched an EU-wide competition for a new facility. The winning project reportedly has several assets, one is that it can easily support a clean bus fleet and the other is that it can be constructed in increments.

The site of the new depot would be an old industrial site on Hedwig-Katschinka Strasse and will cover around 11,000 square metres out of 22,000 for the whole site. A quarter of the remaining space would be occupied by a green space.

Modular and flexible

The design of the depot would be modular and built in stages, with the final facility capable of housing 92 buses that can either be charged with renewable energy produced on-site or with hydrogen, while the construction itself would adhere to local climate-friendly and sustainable building standards (KNBS).

Furthermore, the first phase of the project would cost around 38.6 million euros, while the scheduled second phase is set to cost 33.6 million. Additionally, construction of the first phase should finish by the end of 2027, according to the local government.

Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner was quoted in a press statement, saying:

Public transport is a key lever for a climate-friendly city. The design for the new building of the bus depot offers the new climate-friendly bus fleet an adequate 'home': solar energy through photovoltaics on site, recyclable materials, renewable building materials, a green roof, a compact design and a significant green area share of at least a quarter of the property area speak for themselves.