Aberdeen City Council gets two hydrogen vans

One of two Euro5 Ford Transits to be integrated into Aberdeen City Council's fleet. Picture: Contributed

TWO custom-built hydrogen vans have been incorporated into Aberdeen City Council’s fleet, marking another renewables first for Europe’s leading energy city.

The custom-built Euro5 Ford Transits are the first to be deployed in Scotland, as part of a demonstration project to show that hydrogen is a practical and efficient fuel.

The vehicles were unveiled this morning to two transport study tours visiting Aberdeen as part of the 15th bus and electric car were also displayed outside Marischal College, underlining the council’s commitment to renewable energy and low carbon transport.

Council leader Jenny Laing said: “Aberdeen is a leading world energy city with a very clear focus on the future. We are internationally renowned as a centre of expertise in oil and gas and we are determined to also lead the way on hydrogen.

The vans, which have been converted using Revolve H2ICED technology (dual fuelled internal combustion engine), will not only help to reduce harmful emissions from transport in the city, but also help to promote low emission vehicles across Scotland.

They contain a data-logging USB which records fuel consumption, location and other data which will be used to analyse vehicle performance and will aid the development of the next generation of H2ICED technology.

The vans join Aberdeen’s growing fleet of hydrogen vehicles. The city has already secured the world’s largest fleet of 10 hydrogen buses as part of the Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project, which is due to be in public service by late autumn. The council is working to drive the development of hydrogen technologies and secure a hydrogen economy in the city.