Aberdeen City Council recently scrapped its fleet of 25 hydrogen-powered vehicles and did no cost comparison with cheaper electric buses.
A council is facing questions over its decision to spend million of pounds on hydrogen buses – three times more costly than electric vehicles.
Aberdeen City Council recently scrapped its fleet of 25 hydrogen double-deckers after they spent more than a year parked and unused in a depot due to a lack of fuel.
Experts said the £8.3million in taxpayer cash splashed on the city scheme – paid for by the Scottish Government, the council and European funds – has been a “scandalous” waste of money since launching five years ago.
Studies have found electric buses are up to three times cheaper to run than hydrogen.
Last year, the council admitted it held no data comparing costs between the hydrogen fleet, operated by First Aberdeen, and battery-electric buses.
Professor Tom Baxter, professor in chemical engineering at Strathclyde University, said: “As taxpayers we should be looking for value for money.
“Government and councils have an obligation to make sure they’re doing that when they’re using the public purse.
“It doesn’t look like it’s happened at all here.”
In a freedom of information request to Aberdeen City Council last spring, Prof Baxter had asked for “the original work that justified hydrogen buses over electric” and “any cost comparisons from the initial hydrogen decision to date”.
In response, the council said it did not hold this information, arguing they did not deliver bus services directly despite conceding its “involvement with purchasing of hydrogen buses”.
Prof Baxter told the Sunday Mail: “The council should have been on top of it and making sure it was on track, delivering what was expected and still looking like a value proposition to continue funding it.
“The council said they didn’t have information about comparison costs from First Bus. That speaks volumes to me about due diligence.
“It’s an appalling situation and a scandalous use of taxpayer’s money.”
We told last week of the collapse of the Aberdeen deal – linked to Tory donor Jo Bamford, son of JCB billionaire Lord Bamford, who runs hydrogen bus manufacturer Wrightbus which built the Aberdeen double-deckers.
We also revealed how taxpayers are on the hook for more than £54million in Scottish Government backing for hydrogen schemes across the country.
Aberdeen’s hydrogen strategy was a partnership between the city council and oil giant BP.
Critics say intense lobbying by fossil fuel interests have led to public money going on hydrogen schemes.
Typically, the fuel source used to create hydrogen is natural gas, with technologies to use green sources instead still in the early stages of development.
In 2022 we told how Bamford’s Wrightbus was behind the world’s first double decker powered by the gas, with the firm winning multi-million pound publicly funded contracts to supply vehicles across the UK.
In the years since, cities with hydrogen bus fleets like Dundee, London, Belfast, Birmingham and Liverpool have faced operational difficulties or dropped the schemes.
Aberdeen City Council said it is in discussions with BP about “the future viability of the hydrogen hub, prompted by significant advancements in electric vehicle (EV) technology”.
A spokeswoman added: “As manufacturers and operators increasingly favour EVs, demand for hydrogen in transport has diminished. In light of these developments, both parties are reassessing their strategic direction to align with the evolving market landscape.”
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