Wrightbus and First Group to showcase world’s hydrogen buses
A fleet of 15 hydrogen buses – fuel cell-electric double-decks – will enter service in Aberdeen this year.
They are believed to be the first vehicles of their kind in the world. The fleet will arrive in late spring to undergo a period of testing, before entering service this summer.
Built by Wrightbus, the hydrogen buses will be operated by First Aberdeen as part of an £8.3m project funded by Aberdeen City Council, the Scottish government and the European Union. Each vehicle is valued at around £500,000.
First Aberdeen says the fuel cell-electric buses are as efficient as battery-electric equivalents but with greater range. They will be used to assess the potential of hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells for use across Scotland.
Operations Director for First Aberdeen, David Phillips, says: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Aberdeen City Council to deliver these state-of-the-art and ground-breaking new buses to the people of Aberdeen.
“We are in the process of adapting our depot to accommodate these environmentally friendly zero emission vehicles and are upskilling all our staff to accommodate this next generation of buses.
“We are extremely proud to be a part of this project in helping the city to lead the way on the hydrogen journey.”
The vehicles are part funded by the European Union’s Joint Initiative for hydrogen Vehicles across Europe (JIVE) project, which aims to aid commercialisation of hydrogen powered buses through joint procurement between cities. London and Birmingham are set to follow Aberdeen, with Dundee and Brighton and Hove being lead partners in the JIVE2 project.
