"I ask you to keep in mind our plans ... on the use of gas engine fuel. It is imperative to make the next step and develop a bus for public transport on a hydrogen carrier by 2023 — they [green buses] then use an electric engine, but we need hydrogen power as well", Putin said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Pointing out Russia's need for more green transport technologies, the president said that the next step after a hydrogen-powered bus must be to develop a train with the same technology.
"Taking into account the environmental protection demands and urban transport demands, especially in large cities where a lot of vehicles run on diesel fuel — which we know is bad for the environment and emits gases that create unfavorable environment in large cities — the urban transport powered by gas, and especially hydrogen, is of high demand", Putin said.
In September, the KPMG consultancy firm listed Russia among 25 countries whose economies and infrastructure are ready for a large-scale launch of green transport. In October, Mishustin approved a roadmap for the development of Russia's hydrogen industry, which, among other things, earmarked financial and other measures for the period until 2024 for the development of hydrogen-powered transport.
