Sizewell C workers could be taken to work by hydrogen bus for the entirety of the nuclear power station’s construction, if a new trial launched this week is successful.

Three hydrogen double-decker buses and one single-decker bus – the first hydrogen buses in Suffolk – have begun transporting Sizewell C workers as part of a pilot scheme to test operational performance of the innovative clean technology.

Hydrogen fuel does not produce carbon emissions, so the buses would play a big part in helping to decarbonise the construction phase of Sizewell C and reduce workforce transport impacts on the local area. The project has previously pledged to deliver 60% of its construction materials by rail and sea – to limit construction emissions and reduce the amount of construction traffic on local roads.

The move could help kickstart the hydrogen economy in the region, provide opportunities for further hydrogen uptake, and accelerate transport decarbonisation in Suffolk. This would lead to more clean jobs and training opportunities to support this new technology, something which local education facilities are alive to. If the pilot is successful, Sizewell C could order up to 150 hydrogen buses, creating the UK’s largest hydrogen bus fleet.

Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, Joint Managing Directors of Sizewell C, said: “Sizewell C is going to power six million homes and play an important part in the UK’s energy security. We have an ambition to build in a way which is sustainable and reduces carbon emissions. It’s also a great opportunity to work with another UK business which is training young people for the jobs of the future.

“Nuclear has lots of benefits for hydrogen production, and as a fuel source hydrogen has the potential to make a significant difference to our project – reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and limiting the impact of our workforce transport on the local area.

“If the trial goes as we hope, it could lead to a significant order of UK hydrogen buses, supporting homegrown UK business, and helping to kickstart the hydrogen economy in the East of England.”

The project is also looking at using electric buses as part of a mixed zero-emissions fleet, and expects to make an order for electric buses shortly too.

Julia and Nigel said: “We’ve had some independent analysis that looks at what kind of technology we need for each transport route, and so it could we be that we have a mixed fleet, with hydrogen and electric buses working together. Our ultimate ambition is that all our buses are eventually zero emissions.”

Supporting UK jobs and businesses

The four buses have been built by UK company Wrightbus, who developed the world’s first hydrogen double-decker at their factory in Northern Ireland.

Jean-Marc Gales, Wrightbus CEO, said: “We’re delighted to see this trial underway. Like Sizewell C, at Wrightbus we’re striving a zero-emission future. Wrightbus created the world’s first hydrogen double deck bus and is incredibly proud of the groundbreaking work it has done in the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

“We are unwavering in our commitment to hydrogen being part of the energy transition. We have an army of operators across the UK and Europe who realise that hydrogen meets their demands better than electricity. Indeed, for some rural routes electric buses are simply unable to cope. We always said hydrogen was for big and heavy machines and these buses are a perfect example of this in practice.

“All of our hydrogen buses are manufactured right here in the UK, creating thousands of skilled green jobs at our factory and thousands more across the supply chain, which means every bus purchased is a huge boost to the UK manufacturing sector.”

Sizewell C will support thousands of jobs across the UK, creating 1,500 apprenticeships, and will deliver 70% of its construction value to British suppliers. The project is already delivering £2.5bn in contracts to nearly 300 UK suppliers.

Kickstarting the hydrogen economy in Suffolk

By providing an early hydrogen use case, the trial could also drive hydrogen production in the East of England – and would help address the ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemma around supply and demand of hydrogen.

The hydrogen refuelling station used for the trial will be the first of its kind in Suffolk and the infrastructure could encourage further development of hydrogen transport across the region.

Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich and the Government’s East of England Mission Champion, said: “Sizewell C will be a landmark project for Ipswich and Suffolk, and the hydrogen bus trial showcases some of the innovation that will be delivered during the construction phase.

“I hope it will be a catalyst for helping this sector grow and thrive, whilst at the same time boosting local transport decarbonisation in our town and county.

“I’m excited that Ipswich will host this trial, another boost for our town following the agreement which I signed with Sizewell C last autumn, which guarantees 500 jobs for local people , invests in our education, businesses and charities, as well as delivering two job fairs a year, the first which was held only a few weeks ago.”

The project is part of a consortium led by clean energy company Ryze Power – who are providing green hydrogen for the bus trial – and which was awarded more than £3m of government funding to test a mobile hydrogen refuelling system. If successful, this innovative technology could eventually reduce the need to use fossil fuels in machinery and equipment.

Alex Webster, Sales Director at Ryze Power, said: “At Ryze Power, we’re already involved in a number of successful hydrogen trials across transport, construction and aviation. Hydrogen is a safe, zero-emission fuel that has a huge part to play in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. Refuelling a hydrogen bus takes just eight minutes – the same time as it takes to fill up with diesel, but without the resulting emissions.

“Our mobile hydrogen refuelling systems are the perfect way to introduce a reliable supply of hydrogen that, once up and running at scale, could benefit the wider regional hydrogen ecosystem across the East of England. We’re very much looking forward to seeing how the Sizewell C trial evolves.”

Sizewell C aims to kickstart new net zero technologies during the construction of the 3.2GW nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast. The project is also developing a direct air capture prototype at the Port of Lowestoft, which when scaled up could capture 1.5m tonnes of CO2 each year, equivalent to the emissions produced by the entire UK rail industry.

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