The launch comes in what promises to be a record-breaking year for Wrightbus, which is the fastest-growing bus manufacturer in Europe. Last week, the firm revealed it expects to create up to 1,000 jobs in the supply chain thanks to an increase in production at its Ballymena headquarters, as well as grow its own workforce to 2,500.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said: “We are delighted to unveil our next-generation hydrogen bus, which really showcases the breadth of knowledge and innovation we have here in Northern Ireland at Wrightbus, and in our UK supply-chain partners. Our development team has ensured this flagship bus is more efficient, travels further, costs less, and is easier to service and maintain, and we are grateful to the APC and the Department for Business and Trade for their assistance with funding half of this project. Alongside our market-leading EV bus, 95% of all buses produced by Wrightbus at our Ballymena factory are now zero emissions – a marked change from 2019 when 95% of all orders were for diesels. We are truly leading the charge to net zero.”

Philippa Oldham, Stakeholder Engagement Director at the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), said: “This fuel-cell-powered bus shows the opportunity to commercialize this technology. Buses are an integral part of the public transport network, with over 30,000 diesel buses operating across the UK and Ireland. Buses around the globe have to operate within a variety of constraints, whether it be related to topography or loading demands. This means that there needs to be a variety of options for this sector, and the success from this project shows that hydrogen fuel-cell technology is a great solution. We are excited to see the fruits of this investment from both industry and government.”

North Antrim MP Jim Allister, who attended the launch, said: “I’m delighted to witness another chapter of the Wrightbus success story, particularly in regard to its innovative leadership in the hydrogen sector. Wrightbus is a remarkable story. Since it was rejuvenated under its current ownership, it has gone from strength to strength - not just in the number of jobs it has created, but in terms of technology and achievements, where it is leading the world in hydrogen technology. This is a sector that has unlimited potential going forward, and it’s great to see Wrightbus in it at the ground floor building so successfully. It’s a really good news story not only for North Antrim but for the whole of Northern Ireland.”

KEY STATS AT A GLANCE:

Gen 2.0 vs Predecessor: o 20% saving in fuel costs o 30% maintenance parts cost savings over 15 years o 5% increase in passenger capacity, boosting operator revenue generation potential

Significant saving on original base price

APC17 NextGenFCEV Project

3.75 year project

£11.2-million (50% partner contribution / 50% grant funded)

Six vehicles for UK, and EU markets designed, built and homologated by Wrightbus

New thermal management systems pioneered by Grayson Thermal Systems

State-of-the-art simulation toolkits developed by Queen’s University, Belfast

China Energy Group Achieves Milestone with Over 5 Million Cubic Meters of Green Hydrogen Production