Aberdeen buses on the hydrogen highway

Ten water vapour-emitting vehicles running on Scottish city streets

The UK’s first hydrogen production and bus refuelling station has opened in Aberdeen, as part of a £19 million green transport demonstration project.

The station, at Aberdeen City Council’s Kittybrewster depot, will fuel 10 Van Hool hydrogen fuel cell buses – six of which will be operated by Stagecoach on the X17 Aberdeen city centre to Westhill route, while First will operate four on the X40 Kingswells to Bridge of Don park-and-ride route. The buses will only emit water vapour, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution, as well as being quieter and smoother to run than diesel vehicles.

The facility, which will be owned and operated by industrial gases giant BOC, has been delivered as part of the Aberdeen City Council-led project which aims to drive the development of hydrogen technologies.

City council leader Jenny Laing said: “The Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project is a real coup. We’ve got a lot to be proud of: we not only have Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses running on the streets of Aberdeen, but we also have the UK’s first and largest hydrogen production and bus refuelling station, with plans in place for further hydrogen stations which will be capable of fuelling other vehicles, including cars.”

Laing said Aberdeen had a clear hydrogen strategy for the future. “The project is a very important demonstration project which will help to inform the growth and development of hydrogen technologies and the hydrogen industry, as well as a strong hydrogen economy in Aberdeen. The benefits of this project will be felt locally, nationally and internationally.”

The Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project is part of the HyTrEc (Hydrogen Transport Economy) transnational project which involves: working with EU partners around North Sea to facilitate transnational co-operation and learning; enhancing the competitiveness of the North Sea Region in hydrogen development; and providing a platform for joined-up working towards a hydrogen strategy across the North Sea region.