A new trial launched on the construction site of Sizewell C has begun testing the feasibility of the use of hydrogen buses to transport workers to and from the site.
The trial, which is utilising a set of three hydrogen double-decker buses and one single-decker bus provided by Wrightbus, is looking to determine the operational performance of the new vehicles with an aim to reduce carbonisation during the construction phase of Sizewell C following a previous pledge to deliver 60% of its construction materials by rail and sea.
If successful, Sizewell C has stated it intends to order up to 150 hydrogen buses, thereby creating the largest fleet of its kind in the country, with the project also set to explore the use of electric buses in the near-future.
With construction currently underway in Suffolk, England; Sizewell C is a brand-new, twin-reactor nuclear power station looking to generate enough power for up to six million homes across the country.
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.
Construction of the power station is part of a consortium led by Ryze Power, which is in turn also providing green hydrogen for the current bus trial itself.
Alex Webster, Sales Director at Ryze Power, said:At Ryze Power, we’re already involved in a number of successful hydrogen trials across transport, construction and aviation. Hydrogen is a safe, zero-emission fuel that has a huge part to play in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. Refuelling a hydrogen bus takes just eight minutes – the same time as it takes to fill up with diesel, but without the resulting emissions.
Our mobile hydrogen refuelling systems are the perfect way to introduce a reliable supply of hydrogen that, once up and running at scale, could benefit the wider regional hydrogen ecosystem across the East of England.
We’re very much looking forward to seeing how the Sizewell C trial evolves.
