Nottingham City Transport set to become one of the cleanest and greenest bus operators in the UK thanks to successful OLEV funding bid
Nottingham City Transport will soon be adding 53 low emission bio-gas
powered double-deck buses to its fleet, making the
city’s award-winning bus operator one of the cleanest and ‘greenest’ in
the UK.
Working on the project in partnership with Nottingham City Council, NCT was awarded a £4.4m grant from the Government’s OLEV Low Emission Bus Scheme, which was added to a significant investment of £12.4m from NCT. This money was then invested in the UK for the assembly of these unique vehicles, and in creating a gas bus infrastructure by installing gas fuelling facilities at NCT’s Parliament Street Garage.
The first influx of 53 bio-gas buses will enable NCT to have one of the most environmentally-friendly bus fleets in the country – thereby helping the Council achieve its ‘UK’s greenest city for public transport’ aim.
“We’ve always taken our environmental impact responsibilities very seriously and have long had one of the youngest and cleanest bus fleets in the UK, but this investment in bio-gas bus technology marks a significant step change for Nottingham City Transport,” said NCT Engineering Director, Gary Mason. “We’ve spent an enormous amount of time and effort in researching alternative fuels and we’ve established that from the production of the gas itself, to when it’s powering the engines of the double deckers, bio-gas offers an outstanding long-term sustainable alternative to diesel. For OLEV to also recognise this also and award the funding is both rewarding for us as a company and exciting for the city as a whole.”
The emissions statistics for the duration of the 3 year project are indeed impressive, as the 53 double deck buses will avoid 3,509,690kg CO2, 35,980 kg NOx, and 720 kg Particulate Matter (PM) per year.
With the Scania chassis for each bus assembled in Leyland in Lancashire, ahead of the bodying by Alexander Dennis in Scotland, and the Nottingham-based company, Roadgas in Colwick, supplying the fuelling facilities – which will also be able to be used by other businesses – plans are now ready for the first gas buses to be introduced to NCT.
“As well as being significantly cleaner, our gas double deckers will be quieter, smoother and will also be updated with a great new contemporary design, so passengers really will be getting a full ‘futuristic’ travel experience from the outset!” adds Anthony Carver-Smith. “Investing in bio-gas powered buses demonstrates NCT’s care and commitment to the wellbeing of both our customers and our city – for now, and for future generations. We can’t wait to get the project started.”
Councillor Nick McDonald, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport said, “The City Council are very proud to be working alongside Nottingham City Transport to help make Nottingham the UK’s greenest city for public transport. This OLEV grant vindicates our combined ambition to deliver greener and cleaner transport and complements our other bids to deliver electric vehicle charging infrastructure and electric taxis, which will improve Nottingham’s air quality, reduce carbon emissions and make the city environment more attractive for residents, businesses and visitors. This project sees Nottingham leading the way and we’re confident other cities will soon follow our example.”
NOW SEE THE LATEST ON THE NEW FOCUS FLICKR SITE:
United Kingdom company-operated coaches are featured in Part 4 of the London albums. These can now be viewed by clicking here
Working on the project in partnership with Nottingham City Council, NCT was awarded a £4.4m grant from the Government’s OLEV Low Emission Bus Scheme, which was added to a significant investment of £12.4m from NCT. This money was then invested in the UK for the assembly of these unique vehicles, and in creating a gas bus infrastructure by installing gas fuelling facilities at NCT’s Parliament Street Garage.
The first influx of 53 bio-gas buses will enable NCT to have one of the most environmentally-friendly bus fleets in the country – thereby helping the Council achieve its ‘UK’s greenest city for public transport’ aim.
“We’ve always taken our environmental impact responsibilities very seriously and have long had one of the youngest and cleanest bus fleets in the UK, but this investment in bio-gas bus technology marks a significant step change for Nottingham City Transport,” said NCT Engineering Director, Gary Mason. “We’ve spent an enormous amount of time and effort in researching alternative fuels and we’ve established that from the production of the gas itself, to when it’s powering the engines of the double deckers, bio-gas offers an outstanding long-term sustainable alternative to diesel. For OLEV to also recognise this also and award the funding is both rewarding for us as a company and exciting for the city as a whole.”
The emissions statistics for the duration of the 3 year project are indeed impressive, as the 53 double deck buses will avoid 3,509,690kg CO2, 35,980 kg NOx, and 720 kg Particulate Matter (PM) per year.
With the Scania chassis for each bus assembled in Leyland in Lancashire, ahead of the bodying by Alexander Dennis in Scotland, and the Nottingham-based company, Roadgas in Colwick, supplying the fuelling facilities – which will also be able to be used by other businesses – plans are now ready for the first gas buses to be introduced to NCT.
“As well as being significantly cleaner, our gas double deckers will be quieter, smoother and will also be updated with a great new contemporary design, so passengers really will be getting a full ‘futuristic’ travel experience from the outset!” adds Anthony Carver-Smith. “Investing in bio-gas powered buses demonstrates NCT’s care and commitment to the wellbeing of both our customers and our city – for now, and for future generations. We can’t wait to get the project started.”
Councillor Nick McDonald, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport said, “The City Council are very proud to be working alongside Nottingham City Transport to help make Nottingham the UK’s greenest city for public transport. This OLEV grant vindicates our combined ambition to deliver greener and cleaner transport and complements our other bids to deliver electric vehicle charging infrastructure and electric taxis, which will improve Nottingham’s air quality, reduce carbon emissions and make the city environment more attractive for residents, businesses and visitors. This project sees Nottingham leading the way and we’re confident other cities will soon follow our example.”
NOW SEE THE LATEST ON THE NEW FOCUS FLICKR SITE:
United Kingdom company-operated coaches are featured in Part 4 of the London albums. These can now be viewed by clicking here
