PLANS have been announced for a new multi-million-pound ‘green hydrogen’ production facility at the Ballymena headquarters of Wrightbus.
Subject to planning approval, the new facility, which is being delivered by the bus-maker in partnership with Oxford-based Hygen Energy, will initially produce enough energy to power 300 hydrogen buses a day in the north.
Wrightbus said green hydrogen offers a completely renewable fuel that does not create any carbon emissions.
It’s made by using renewable electricity to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen – a process called electrolysis. The hydrogen is then used on-site or transported to where it is needed.
The pursuit of hydrogen technology has been a key strategy of Jo Bamford since he bought the Ballymena bus manufacturing business of Wrightbus out of administration in 2019.
The company now employs just over 1,000 people and last year produced 430 buses.
Wrightbus also produced the world’s first hydrogen powered fleet of double-decker buses in 2020.
Mr Bamford said with the governments around the world increasingly placing emphasis on net zero targets, industry is now looking to ensure there is enough hydrogen being produced to fulfil those ambitions.
“One of our key objectives when we purchased Wrightbus in 2019 was to bring the first UK manufactured hydrogen double decker bus to market,” said the group chairman.
“We have done this, with our Hydroliner buses now moving passengers every day in a number of cities across the UK, including here in Belfast.
“Hydrogen is the best means of decarbonising many bus routes, but for this to happen bus operators need a reliable and voluminous supply of low cost low carbon hydrogen,” he said.
“It is great to see a project that is being sized to enable future demand for hydrogen here in Northern Ireland to be met.
“This project will initially be able to produce enough hydrogen to run up to 300 buses, and has the potential to triple in scale as demand for hydrogen increases.
“We hope it will set an example for how these projects will be designed and built.”
Wrightbus has identified a 2.5-acre site at its Ballymena base, with a target of the facility being operational by the summer of 2024.
A community consultation process for the project is now under way as part of the pre-application planning process.
