Glasgow City Council has agreed to purchase 19 hydrogen-fuelled refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) from a partnership between Farid Hillend Engineering and Arcola Energy, creating the largest fleet of its type in the world. The investment has been made possible by a £7m provision from the climate emergency fund.
The first of the 26-tonne RCVs will be delivered to the council in January 2022 and it is expected that all 19 vehicles will be operational by October of that year, and maintained over a five-year period. As part of a wider £10.5m funding package ahead of the city’s hosting of the COP26 summit, the city will also build a green refuelling station. The council has committed to use of green hydrogen and the development of a supporting infrastructure utilising renewable sources. It will also convert 20 smaller trucks to dual fuel hydrogen compatibility.
George Gillespie, an executive director at the council said, “Glasgow is now very much at the forefront of changes that aim to remove carbon from our transport system. Committing to using hydrogen for our heavier vehicles was always a big breakthrough in our approach to decarbonising our fleet. The technology we are introducing into our vehicles will also help make our services as effective and efficient as possible and will ensure we are best placed to meet the challenges of the climate emergency.”
