Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper visited Wrightbus‘s headquarters in Ballymena this week to hear about the company’s green credentials and plans.
Mr Harper met senior management and saw production at the Northern Ireland factory, where what was claimed to be the world’s first hydrogen double-decker bus was built.
Mr Harper said: “I really enjoyed visiting the Wrightbus team in Ballymena, meeting the skilled staff and hearing how the company’s groundbreaking hydrogen and electric buses can help us level up transport across the country.
“We’re determined to decarbonise transport, and with our £320 million investment to support the roll out of 4,000 zero-emission buses, we are making our net-zero transport network a reality.”
The visit came in a week in which Wrightbus announced plans for a new hydrogen production facility in Ballymena. It follows last month’s news that the manufacturer is supplying 104 battery-electric buses to the Oxford Bus Company.
Leading the visit was Ian Gillott, Managing Director (Parts and Services), who said: “We were delighted to be able to share with the Secretary of State our vision and plans for Wrightbus and what this means for Northern Ireland and the wider United Kingdom.
“Wrightbus has a clear plan in place to increase the ease and affordability of zero-emission buses. We believe hydrogen fuel cell buses can and should be used and powered across the UK and Ireland.
“This is an exciting time in the history of Wrightbus. We are at the forefront of hydrogen and zero-emission technology and, as such, continue to explore and invest in new opportunities to develop this sector.”
