Smart Selangor buses could be running on hydrogen energy by the end of this year if the state’s green energy infrastructure can be completed on schedule.
State investment, trade and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han said Worldwide Holdings Bhd (WHB) was currently constructing hydrogen electrolysers to produce the fuel as an alternative to fossil fuels.
“If the ecosystem of hydrogen electrolysers and stations is completed this year, we can roll out hydrogen-powered Smart Selangor buses by year-end.
“However, producing hydrogen energy is costly and requires careful planning,” he said during the Selangor state assembly sitting at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam yesterday.
The hydrogen initiative is part of a broader shift toward green mobility, which includes a target to instal 4,000 electric vehicle charging bays (EVCB) across the state by 2030.
Ng said there were currently 1,090 EVCBs operating across all 12 local councils in Selangor.
To accelerate this, he said the state made the installation of charging bays a mandatory condition for development approvals.
“This aligns with the planning guidelines for vehicle charging bays prepared by the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia).”
He was replying to Pang Sock Tao (PH-Kuala Kubu Baharu) who asked if the state would make it compulsory for developers to provide EVCBs in their projects and the state’s plan to increase the number of EVCBs.
To ensure standardisation, Ng said Shah Alam City Council had been tasked with developing an EVCB guideline that could be adopted by all local authorities.
“There are many companies that have submitted various proposals to instal EVCBs.
“Some electric vehicle manufacturers are also interested in providing these facilities.
“However, the challenge lies in standardising the procedures across different local councils.”
He said interested operators could now coordinate their applications through WHB, the state’s appointed coordinating agency for charging point operators.
