Stagecoach has launched a fleet of Optare Solo buses that are powered by the product of household rubbish and animal waste.
Recycled waste is converted into biomethane, which, says the organisation, reduces carbon emissions from the buses by up to 40% and helps cut landfill.
The project has been introduced in Lincoln, in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council and the East Midlands Development Agency, and involves 11 Optare Solo buses, which have been converted to run on the low carbon fuel.
The £260,000 conversion costs have been funded by Lincolnshire County Council and the East Midlands Development Agency, with Stagecoach East Midlands providing the buses from its Lincoln fleet. A further £100,000 joint funding has been invested in fuelling infrastructure.
The vehicle initially runs on diesel but a gas electronic control system gradually reduces the use of the fossil fuel, replacing it with biomethane without affecting the characteristics or performance of the bus.
The converted vehicles are expected to deliver at least a 40% carbon savings compared to standard buses as well as improving fuel consumption.
