First Bus will install electric vehicle charging facilities at its Aberdeen depot – bringing 24 new zero-emission vehicles to the city.
The firm lodged plans with the city council to install transformer substations along with rapid battery chargers and power units at its King Street yard.
It was submitted after First Bus revealed it placed an £8.1 million order for the new state-of-the-art electric vehicles in September.
Acoustic fencing around the new facilities will be included to prevent any potential noise after complaints from residents.
The updated proposal came after plans submitted in September were withdrawn due to concerns the chargers would emit an “annoying” humming sound.
Residents and groups spoke out against plan
The application went before councillors on Thursday.
Old Aberdeen Community Council were concerned that the new infrastructure could disturb the surrounding residents.
The Old Aberdeen Heritage Society also opposed to the application.
While the group welcomed the move to replace the existing diesel buses, it too had concerns about noise.
Three further objections were submitted to the council by locals.
Richard and Teresa Harwood said they were all for the new electric fleet but wanted assurance that the new facilities would not “add a further element of noise”.
They also noted that a potential “hum” from the chargers during the night was a “great concern.”
First Bus at ‘early stages’ of a just transition
But despite the opposition council planners backed the proposal – saying it would help First Bus move away from its “dependency on fossil fuels”.
They also noted that the application met new national net zero emissions and climate action planning framework that was approved by Scottish ministers earlier this week.
First Bus managing director Duncan Cameron told committee members the application formed part of the firm’s commitment to deliver a net zero emission fleet by 2035.
He explained that the work would build on the “exciting” hydrogen project that the company is working on.
New electric vehicles will replace diesel fleet
By the end of the year, 40% of First Bus’s Aberdeen fleet would be emission-free resulting in a further 2,000 tonnes of CO2 being removed.
Mr Cameron also stated that the move would enable the firm to “encourage more people to travel across the city by public transport and by more sustainable means”.
First Bus expects some of the new electric buses to arrive later this year while the full fleet is expected to be in operation by spring 2024.
