Aberdeen to sell 25 hydrogen buses after BP joint venture ends and year long park up

Aberdeen City Council is preparing to sell its fleet of 25 hydrogen powered double decker buses, which have been parked for over a year following the collapse of a joint venture with BP. The 60 seat Wrightbus vehicles, which entered service in early 2021 as a world first hydrogen double deck fleet, have been out of service since late 2024 due to delays in repairs at hydrogen refuelling sites in Kittybrewster and Cove. The project cost approximately £8.3 million, funded by Aberdeen City Council, the Scottish Government and the European Union, with an investment of around £500,000 per vehicle within the FCH JU project.

Why it matters: The sale underscores infrastructure risk in alternative fuel procurements: even capital intensive fleets can strand if refuelling partnerships fail. Councils and operators evaluating hydrogen or other novel powertrains will weigh this £8.3 million write off against the maturity of battery electric charging networks.