The Go-Ahead Group has signed a 15-year hydrogen supply agreement with Air Products, a global industrial gas company, to power a fleet of fuel cell buses that will be deployed near Gatwick Airport, Crawley, and Horley.
The single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner buses will be delivered in June 2022 by Wrightbus of Northern Ireland. They will be the company’s first hydrogen-powered buses, joining a fleet of over 6,000 buses.
The hydrogen used to power the buses is expected to meet or exceed UK government standards for sustainable public transportation fuel. Hydrogen will be stored in liquid form at the Metrobus Crawley depot before being converted to gas and stored in tanks on the vehicles’ roofs.
The single-decker fuel cell buses are partially funded by money from UK government and European Union zero-emission bus schemes, as well as Gatwick Airport’s investment. A possible additional order of 34 buses would bring the fleet to 54 vehicles, making it Europe’s largest local fleet of hydrogen buses to date.
Hydrogen buses have a long range and can be refueled quickly in depots, in addition to having zero carbon emissions.
With nearly 300 electric buses across the country, Go-Ahead is already the UK’s largest operator of zero-emission buses, but this is the company’s first foray into hydrogen. By 2035, Go-Ahead wants to transition to a zero-emission bus fleet across the UK.
Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, said: “This is our first hydrogen supply deal, and it represents a milestone in our plans to transition Go-Ahead’s entire fleet of buses to zero emission fuel.
“We’re delighted to be working with Air Products and with Wrightbus. This is an example of what can be achieved through a mixture of public and private funding, and of co-operation between different environmentally responsible partners.”
Manish Patel, Air Products UK Hydrogen for Mobility Director, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Go-Ahead and Metrobus on the largest hydrogen supply contract for buses in the UK to date. It’s a huge milestone in the UK’s hydrogen for mobility sector.
“At Air Products, we’ve been involved in more than 13 million hydrogen vehicle fills across the world and have extensive experience over the last 60 years in delivering reliable end-to-end hydrogen solutions, from production to distribution and fuelling stations. Our innovative and unique solutions will provide Metrobus the infrastructure to not only fuel their initial fleet but allow for rapid expansion without additional footprint or cost.”
Ed Wills, Managing Director, Brighton & Hove and Metrobus, said: “We went through a rigorous process before selecting Air Products as our supplier. We were impressed not only with their experience in this field but with the assurance that they would be ready to begin supplying us at volume from day one.”
