NI’s first EVER Hydrogen powered buses arrive at Translink
There'll be no carbon emissions three double-decker buses.
It’s a new era for public transport in Northern Ireland as three new hydrogen powered double-decker buses have joined Translink’s fleet. The vehicles, which only emit water and are powered by green, renewable energy, represent a £4million investment.
There are more of these to come though - as a total of £66million for 145 low-emission buses has been allocated by the Department for Infrastructure.
It’s after Translink and Energia group formed a consortium, which successfully bid for part funding from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles. The remainder of funding came from the Department for Infrastructure.
Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said she was delighted to see this eco-friendly fleet getting started, thanks to this joint operation.
“I have been clear that tackling the climate crisis is a priority for me and I am committed to a building a better future where we make zero/low emission public transport accessible to communities across the North,” she said.
Tanslink’s CEO, Chris Conway, said it’s the first step towards a greener future.
“This is great news for our customers and the wider public as we make real progress to tackle the climate emergency, enhance air quality for health and wellbeing and reduce traffic congestion,” Mr Conway said.
“We’re committed to leading a transport transformation in Northern Ireland, driving change to zero emissions and engaging across all industry sectors to learn from best practice in low carbon innovation and bus manufacturing.
“Today is the result of a successful collaboration and we’d like to thank all our partners for vital investment, expertise and innovation to deliver this project. Locally, 35% of all energy is expended on transport and, as today demonstrates, we believe modal shift from car to sustainable transport can be accelerated with the right investment.
“We now look forward to achieving further important milestones on our journey to Net Zero Emissions public transport and securing a brighter future for generations to come.”