The UK’s first hydrogen-fuelled waste collection truck was revealed in Aberdeen, in a move that continues to accelerate the city’s thriving hydrogen economy. While typical waste trucks are powered by diesel and petrol, the new waste truck will use green hydrogen from existing refuelling infrastructure in Aberdeen.

The truck will start collecting waste and recycling around the city from early March and will be the first hydrogen-powered waste truck to become operational in the UK. It will initially cover wheeled bins in Garthdee, Kincorth, Bridge of Don, Newhills, Woodside/Hilton, Mastrick, Milltimber, and Rubislaw before moving to mixed recycling and bulk bins on other routes.

These journeys will not only result in estimated emissions savings of over 25kg CO2e/litre across a year, based on a diesel truck on similar routes, but will also collect data which will allow further rollouts of hydrogen-fuelled waste trucks in the future.

“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,” said Councillor Jenny Laing, Aberdeen City Council Leader.

The hydrogen fuel cell waste vehicle is one of seven which will be 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, demonstrating that hydrogen waste trucks provide an effective solution to reduce emissions from road transport.

The arrival of the waste vehicle follows a host of major 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 transformative Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub.