As part of its ‘Declaration on Climate Change,’ Nottingham City Council is trialling ethanol-powered buses following an investment from East Midlands Development Agency (emda).   

The trial, which is being conducted in partnership with Nottingham City Transport on service 30 to Wollaton, will run for 18 months. It aims to assess the technical, environmental and business case for the use of ethanol, particularly focusing on:

• whether ethanol-powered buses can be introduced under Nottingham specific local conditions.
• if the ethanol pumping station can be used by other vehicle types in the future.
• what the technical, environmental and financial challenges are for further expansion of the scheme.

Emda’s funding has purchased three Scania ‘Omnilink’ vehicles which use the latest technology and meet the highest European standard for Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicles (EEV). Early research indicates the ethanol-powered buses will reduce CO2 emissions by 30 tonnes per bus per year. It is also expected that there will be a reduction in Nitrous Oxide, which is another greenhouse gas, as well as less particulate matter from the exhaust.

Councillor Brian Parbutt, Portfolio Holder for Transport, Economic Development and Skills, at Nottingham City Council, said “This is another exciting first for Nottingham and we hope this trial will be successful and help pave the way for more ethanol-fuelled buses in Nottingham to reduce the environmental impact of transport in the City.”

The ethanol used to fuel the buses is being sourced from waste produced by Sweden’s paper and pulp industry, which is at the forefront of sustainable forestry practices. During the trial period, these costs will be assessed against locally-grown sugar beet and wood, to help determine whether in future, the ethanol could be sourced closer to Nottingham. This follows the recent opening of an ethanol production plant by British Sugar at Whissington in Norfolk, which uses locally produced excess sugar beet to generate the fuel.

Anthony Payne, emda’s Land and Development Director, commented: “emda’s involvement in this scheme demonstrates our commitment to developing sustainable transport options and their transferability across the region. Our investment is important in helping transform the way we use natural resources, contributing to our vision of a flourishing region that is based on a high-quality environment which reduces the impact on climate change.”