Spanish industrial and medical gases specialist Carburos Metálicos, part of Air Products Group, has boosted its hydrogen operations in Madrid, Spain, through its supply of renewable hydrogen to the Alsa urban bus line.
A presentation event held at Alsa’s Operations and Maintenance headquarters in Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, featured a refuelling test carried out at the Carburos Metálicos hydrogen plant, showcasing the hydrogen-powered buses’ refuelling process.
The event also featured a tour of the Caetano H2.City Gold bus, manufactured by CaetanoBus, which will provide its service permanently on line 4 of the Madrid municipality.
This represents the first line of public transport in the city powered by renewable hydrogen, a positive sign for the maturity of the technology during an energy transition.



The hydrogen refuelling process
To ensure that the hydrogen is produced from a ‘green’ source, the company stated that the renewable hydrogen comes from a plant associated with a Guarantee of Origin (GdO) programme.
Commenting on the development, Miquel Lope, General Director, Carburos Metálicos, said, “The commitment of the Community of Madrid, the City Council of Torrejon de Ardoz and Alsa to sustainable mobility based on hydrogen shows that the technology is mature and ready to contribute to the decarbonisation of public transport in the cities of our country.”
The company’s focus on hydrogen mobility has seen it carrying out several demonstrations within its ‘Hydrogen Route’, with stops including Oviedo, Bilbao, Tarragona, Valladolid, Zaragoza, and Cordóba.