Aberdeen City Council joins hydrogen refuse truck trial

Aberdeen City Council will operate a hydrogen-powered refuse collection vehicle as part of a new Europe-wide trial programme.

The truck will collecting waste and recycling around the city from early March and joins the local authority’s existing fleet of 85 hydrogen powered commercial vehicles, which includes hydrogen powered buses and public sector vehicles.

It is one of seven hydrogen fuel cell waste trucks being deployed across seven pilot sites in northwest Europe, including the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany. Each truck will be tested in a range of environments from rural areas to city centres, to establish their ability to reduce emissions from road transport.

Councillor Jenny Laing, Aberdeen City Council leader, said: “Enabling truly ‘green’ transport is a key deliverable in our plan to deliver Aberdeen’s Net Zero Vision and our own plans to replace our vehicle fleet with alternative fuelled vehicles.

"Adding a waste truck powered only by hydrogen is another important step forward and builds on the zero emission buses and other public sector vehicles that are already here in the city.”

The arrival of the waste truck follows a host of hydrogen announcements by Aberdeen City Council in recent months, including the world’s first hydrogen double decker buses becoming operational, new funding secured for hydrogen projects and most recently, the appointment of international energy company, BP, as strategic commercial partner for the development of the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub.

The waste truck is being part funded by the Interreg North-West Europe Programme as part of its HECTOR project - Hydrogen Waste Collection Vehicles in North West Europe.

Each European deployment site will aim to continue operation of the trucks after the end of the project in June 2023 and, as the vehicles are operationally proven, will gradually replace conventionally fuelled trucks.

The chassis was manufactured by Hyzon Motors, with the body built by Geesinknorba.

St Helens Council has ordered 10 Faun Bluepower hydrogen-powered refuse collection trucks.