BiH’s Centrotrans to switch entire bus fleet to natural gas by 2030

Public transport company Centrotrans plans to switch its entire bus fleet to compressed natural gas by 2030. Half of the vehicles that it operates in Sarajevo already run on CNG.

Centrotrans, with its fleet of more than 200 buses, operates local, intercity, and international transport. The company is based in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Over the previous fourteen months, the company invested more than BAM 3 million (EUR 1.5 million) in two infrastructure projects – the construction of a filling station for CNG and a solar power plant.

They significantly contribute to the reduction of harmful emissions and the increase in energy efficiency in the transportation sector, Centrotrans said. It also helps reduce air pollution, one of the biggest environmental issues in BiH.

The solar power plant produced almost 40% of the electricity consumed by the company

The photovoltaic plant is installed on the roofs of four buildings, with a total area of ​​2,400 square meters. During a four-month trial run, the solar panels produced almost 40% of the electricity consumed in the firm’s operations.

The effect of the power plant is equal to planting 500 trees.

Currently, 50% of the company’s buses in public transport in Sarajevo are fueled by CNG, so the logical step was to build its own filling station. The unit is available to other owners of vehicles running on CNG.

The filling station brings financial and ecological benefits, the company claimed. It is also on the map of European CNG filling stations at cngeurope.com.

Centrotrans said it intends to continue with projects contributing to sustainable development, modernization, and improvement of services in public transport.

The plan is to switch the entire fleet to CNG over the next five years, the firm revealed.

Investments in lowering operating costs

Management Board President Safudin Čengić stressed the said investments reflect Centrotrans’ optimism. Despite all obstacles and lack of support, the company is implementing strategic investments, he pointed out.

According to Elmin Škulj, manager of maintenance and quality at Centrotrans, CNG stations enable fast and efficient refueling while the PV facility reduces the consumption of electricity produced from conventional sources.

The technologies not only reduce emissions of harmful gases but also significantly lower operating costs, he noted.

The projects demonstrate how responsible companies like Centrotrans can independently invest in green technologies and contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment, Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk stated.