The UK’s first hydrogen production and bus refuelling station in Aberdeen has reached a major milestone – its 1000th refuel.

The refuelling station opened in March and provides fuel for what is claimed to be Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses running on the streets of the city.

The refuelling station is owned and operated by BOC, the industrial and medical gases business and a member of The Linde Group.

Based at Aberdeen City Council’s Kittybrewster depot, the facility has been delivered as part of a £19m green transport demonstration project which is testing the economic and environmental benefits of hydrogen transport technologies and aims to drive the development of hydrogen technologies.

The Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project, which has backing from Europe, the UK Government and the Scottish Government, as well as a broad range of private sector partners, is the most high-profile of a range of projects designed to create a hydrogen economy in the city. It is delivering a hydrogen infrastructure in Aberdeen, including the production of hydrogen at the UK’s first commercial-scale hydrogen production and bus refuelling station, as well as a purpose-built hydrogen fuel cell vehicle maintenance facility.

Dr Hamish Nichol, BOC’s innovation manager for hydrogen, said: “We are delighted to have hit the 1000th fuel, which is a major milestone. The support BOC has received from our project partners in the Aberdeen Hydrogen bus project has been excellent and we would also like to extend our thanks to the bus drivers and their passengers for their support in using the buses.

“We have dispensed over 20 tonnes of hydrogen since the station opened in March and we are very proud of the station’s 100% availability record which is a clear demonstration of the viability of hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel.”

The hydrogen production and refuelling station fuels 10 Van Hool A330 hydrogen fuel cell buses – six of which are operated by Stagecoach and four by First Group.

Topics