Aberdeen city councillors have unanimously agreed to support a multi-million pound European project to introduce hydrogen buses to the area.
The council expects the Strategic European Hydrogen Transport Projects will stimulate further innovative hydrogen technology projects and high-level investment in the area.
The project will see the first hydrogen bus running in Scotland, with up to a dozen buses operating. The fleet, which will run on routes into central Aberdeen, will be the largest in any European city, it is claimed.
There will initially be 12 buses, which will be refuelled at Scotland’s first large hydrogen refuelling station. This will supply locally generated gas and will be able to refuel hydrogen-powered cars as they become available. As this issue went to press, CBW was awaiting confirmation as to which manufacturer would supply the vehicles and which company would operate them.
The city council has secured £9.2m of EU funding towards the projects, and will contribute £2m over four years as well as secure a further £9.3m of funding from project partners.
Councillors approved the authority’s participation in the High V.Lo City, HyTransit, HyTrEc and LOWCAP cluster projects, subject to securing 90% of additional funding from external partners.
Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure vice-convener John Corall said: “This will act as a catalyst for major new technology.
“London and Copenhagen have hydrogen buses and taxis, but we have the skills expertise in Aberdeen which neither of these cities have. That makes Aberdeen ideally placed to really grasp this exciting, evolving new side to the energy industry.”
