Glasgow is set to have the largest fleet of hydrogen-powered bin lorries in the world after councillors agreed a £10.5m funding package.
The council will buy 19 hydrogen refuse collection vehicles, using £7m from a climate emergency fund.
It is part of plans to push forward the council’s ambition for a fleet of zero-emission vehicles.
Two electric minibuses will be purchased with £420,000 from SP Energy Networks.
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And Transport Scotland has provided £200,000 for batteries, which will capture power generated by solar panels set to be installed on Duke Street car park. It has also supplied £290,000 for charging points.
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More than £2.5m of Smart Cities Scotland funding will be used on smart technology, to support the management of the fleet, including fuel and waste systems.
It is hoped the council’s commitment to hydrogen will encourage other fleet operators to reduce carbon emissions.
Over 100 new electric cars have already been delivered to the council and work is underway to convert 20 smaller lorries to dual fuel hydrogen.
George Gillespie, an executive director at the council, said decarbonising the council’s fleet was “vital” to plans to be carbon neutral by 2030.
“We have taken tremendous strides with the implementation of our zero-emissions fleet strategy,” he added.
“Glasgow is now very much at the forefront of changes that aim to remove carbon from our transport system.
“We can see the market responding to the lead the council is taking and it was always our aim to use the council’s size and status to build confidence that wider change is possible.”
He continued: “Committing to using hydrogen for our heavier vehicles was always a big breakthrough in our approach to decarbonising our fleet.
“I am particularly pleased that such significant investment is being made in modernising our cleansing service with the purchase of 19 hydrogen-powered refuse vehicles.
“The technology we are introducing into our vehicles will also help make our services as effective and efficient as possible and will ensure we are best placed to meet the challenges of the climate emergency.”
Glasgow set to have largest fleet of hydrogen-powered bin lorries in the world, 27 MAR 2021
