ULEMCo has supplied heavy duty vehicles to ACC previously, and these have been running successfully on the roads for over a year. This new order includes further refuse collection vehicles and road sweepers but also a wide variety of other utility trucks including tippers and tractors.
The converted vehicles are expected to create demand for the Hydrogen Hub in the region, supporting the council’s commitment to deliver a hydrogen economy in the area, and creating the demand for more skilled jobs. Part of the contract allows for vehicles to be converted locally, which both contributes to employment in Aberdeen and improves the logistics of moving the vehicles to Liverpool for the upgrade.
Amanda Lyne, managing director at ULEMCo, said: “The Council's investment in our ‘here and now’ solution will help build significant demand for hydrogen, which in turn creates base load demand for scaled investment for infrastructure suppliers to provide more refuelling etc.”
ACC co-leader councillor Ian Yuill said: “The conversion of vehicles within our fleet to dual-fuel hydrogen power sources is an important step in the council’s journey to achieving our ambition to become carbon net zero by 2045.”