Swansea and Neath Port Talbot residents will be able to ride on a hydrogen bus for the first time this May as the city has been chosen for a trial of the zero emission vehicle.
Local bus company South Wales Transport will use a hydrogen bus on its 256 Neath-Pontardawe route and one other route which is likely to be in Swansea from May 25- June, 8. The City Gold 46 bus, which only emits clean water and filters the air passing through to seating areas, will be provided by the Toyota company Caetano UK in partnership with Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions. South Wales Transport is keen to get feedback from passengers who ride on the bus, as well as drivers, to help make decisions on lowering their carbon emissions in the future.
The area has a long history with hydrogen as Sir William Grove, the 18th century inventor of the fuel cell which converts hydrogen into electricity, was a Swansea resident. Organisers of the trial, which will take place ahead of the Western Gateway hydrogen conference at the Celtic Manor in Cardiff on June, 9, hope to use locally produced zero carbon hydrogen in the trial to ensure the carbon footprint is kept as low as possible. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Chris Foxall, CEO of Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions said: “Hydrogen promises to be a big part of the future of transportation, but this trial will show that the technology is available today. It’s great to see a local SME such as South Wales Transport taking the lead on decarbonising their services which will help us reach our net zero goals as well as improve air quality for our communities.
"Caetano and Toyota have always been pioneers of new green technologies and it’s wonderful to see them supporting trials of this kind in South Wales helping educate businesses and the public as to what options are available to them going forward. South Wales has a long history with hydrogen with its use in heavy industries such as steel and oil. The future is far more environmentally friendly where we can use our abundant renewable resources such as wind and tidal to make zero carbon hydrogen and use it to fuel our vehicles as well as heat our homes.”
Bev Fowles, owner of South Wales Transport, added: "We're delighted to be selected for the trial, it's a major step forward for SME bus companies in Wales and we look forward to playing our part in full. Hydrogen is definitely the fuel of the future and our small contribution must help to gain experience and information about the fuel so operators in Wales can use it in the future."
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