First hydrogen buses in Suffolk begin trial for Sizewell C workers

Why it matters: Hydrogen fuel produces no carbon emissions, helping to decarbonise the nuclear power station's construction phase and reduce workforce transport impacts on the local area.

If successful, Sizewell C could order up to 150 hydrogen buses, creating the UK's largest hydrogen bus fleet and potentially kickstarting the hydrogen economy in the region.

The big picture: The trial is testing the operational performance of three hydrogen double-decker buses and one single-decker bus – the first of their kind in Suffolk.

The buses have been built by UK company Wrightbus, which developed the world's first hydrogen double-decker at their factory in Northern Ireland.

By the numbers:

• Sizewell C aims to deliver 60% of its construction materials by rail and sea to limit emissions and reduce traffic on local roads

• The project will support thousands of jobs across the UK, create 1,500 apprenticeships, and deliver 70% of its construction value to British suppliers

• Sizewell C will provide low-carbon electricity to six million homes for at least 60 years

What they're saying: "Nuclear has lots of benefits for hydrogen production, and as a fuel source hydrogen has the potential to make a significant difference to our project – reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and limiting the impact of our workforce transport on the local area," said Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, Joint Managing Directors of Sizewell C.

Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich and the Government's East of England Mission Champion, said: "I hope it will be a catalyst for helping this sector grow and thrive, whilst at the same time boosting local transport decarbonisation in our town and county."

Behind the scenes: The project is part of a consortium led by clean energy company Ryze Power, which was awarded more than £3m of government funding to test a mobile hydrogen refuelling system.

Alex Webster, Sales Director at Ryze Power, said: "Refuelling a hydrogen bus takes just eight minutes – the same time as it takes to fill up with diesel, but without the resulting emissions."

What's next: The project is also looking at using electric buses as part of a mixed zero-emissions fleet, and expects to make an order for electric buses shortly.

"We've had some independent analysis that looks at what kind of technology we need for each transport route, and so it could be that we have a mixed fleet, with hydrogen and electric buses working together," said Pyke and Cann.

The bottom line: Sizewell C aims to kickstart new net zero technologies during construction of the 3.2GW nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast, supporting the Government's plans for 10GW of green hydrogen production by 2030.