The Government has announced funding worth around £54 million will be available to innovative green projects in the transport sector. The hope is that around 10,000 UK jobs will be secured due to the funding, which is aimed at creating electric trucks and hydrogen powered buses, saving millions of tonnes of carbon emissions in the process.
Investment in, and exploration of, new technologies using cleaner fuels for large vehicles is important if carbon emissions are to be cut and also if local air pollution levels need to drop. It will also be a significant help in the legally binding aim for the UK to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Three projects will benefit from the funding. They are the development:
Hydrogen fuel cells are a potential way forward in transport technology as the only emissions from the use of hydrogen fuel are water vapour and air. Though carbon is emitted in hydrogen production.
Announcing the funding, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "These projects will not only help accelerate the wider application of greener technology in lorries and buses, but will also help generate the high-skilled jobs to level up communities across the UK while ensuring we build back greener from the pandemic."
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, welcomed the news, saying: "This is outstanding news for the people of Northern Ireland, protecting more than 1,000 skilled jobs and creating more than 3,000 additional jobs over the next 10 years. This will continue to level up our local economy, allowing Wrightbus to continue producing the next generation of world-leading hydrogen buses."
