Hydrogen buses trialled on nuclear plant service
Wrightbus hydrogen buses are being tested on a pilot test service for workers at the Sizewell C nuclear power plant.
Three hydrogen double-deckers and one single-deck bus – the first hydrogen buses in Suffolk – have begun transporting Sizewell C workers as part of the pilot scheme. Wrightbus hydrogen buses could be used for the entirety of the nuclear power station’s construction if the trial is successful. Sizewell C could order up to 150 hydrogen buses if it goes well, according to Wrightbus, creating the UK’s largest hydrogen bus fleet.
The hydrogen refuelling station used for the trial will be the first of its kind in Suffolk and Wrightbus believes the infrastructure could encourage further development of hydrogen transport across the region.
The project is part of a consortium led by clean energy company Ryze Power – which is providing green hydrogen for the bus trial – and which was awarded more than £3m of government funding to test a mobile hydrogen refuelling system.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to hydrogen being part of the energy transition” – Jean-Marc Gales, Wrightbus CEO
Jean-Marc Gales, Wrightbus CEO, said: “We’re delighted to see this trial underway. Like Sizewell C, at Wrightbus we’re striving a zero-emission future. Wrightbus created the world’s first hydrogen double-deck bus and is incredibly proud of the groundbreaking work it has done in the decarbonisation of the transport sector.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to hydrogen being part of the energy transition. We have an army of operators across the UK and Europe who realise that hydrogen meets their demands better than electricity. Indeed, for some rural routes electric buses are simply unable to cope. We always said hydrogen was for big and heavy machines and these buses are a perfect example of this in practice.
“All of our hydrogen buses are manufactured right here in the UK, creating thousands of skilled green jobs at our factory and thousands more across the supply chain, which means every bus purchased is a huge boost to the UK manufacturing sector.”