The world’s first fleet of hydrogen-powered double decker buses have officially entered into service in Aberdeen, Scotland
Run by First Bus in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, the zero-emission fleet emits only water from its exhausts due to be fuelled by wind and water power.
The 60-seat buses take less than 10 minutes to refuel, save one kilogram of Co2 with every kilometre they drive and are virtually silent.
Councillor Jenny Laing, co-leader of Aberdeen City Council, said: “We are delighted to be launching the world’s first hydrogen double-decker bus fleet onto the streets of Aberdeen.
Read more: Aberdeen takes delivery of world’s-first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus
“Aberdeen is one of Europe’s pioneering hydrogen cities and, through the work of Aberdeen City Council, the city has developed a cluster of hydrogen activity. The new double-decker buses are a great addition to one of the largest and most varied fleets of hydrogen vehicles in Europe.
“They have even more advanced technology, which pushes established hydrogen boundaries and will greatly assist us in tackling air pollution in the city.”
While prototype hydrogen buses have been designed and used previously, these double deckers are the first of their kind to go into operation and welcome customers on board.
According to the council, there are plans for Aberdeen to produce its own hydrogen power for the buses at a local hydrogen hub, providing an energy source for the local community.
Read more: Aberdeen primed for world-first hydrogen double deckers
The vehicles will be operated mainly on the Service 19 (Peterculter to Tillydrone) along with other services and is part funded by the European Union’s JIVE project, which aims to aid commercialisation of hydrogen buses through joint procurement between cities.
Cities that will follow Aberdeen’s footsteps include London and Birmingham, with Dundee and Brighton and Hove being lead partners in JIVE2.
The new £8.3m project has been funded by Aberdeen City Council, the Scottish government, and the European Union, with an investment of about £500,000 per vehicle.
The UK’s first hydrogen production and bus refuelling station was opened in Aberdeen in 2015 as part of a £19m green transport demonstration project.
The Aberdeen City Council-led project tested the economic and environmental benefits of hydrogen transport technologies and aims to drive the development of hydrogen technologies.
