New jobs and centre of excellence for Wrightbus

The money is part of a £54 million investment being coordinated by The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).

The news, announced by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, has been welcomed by Wrightbus Executive Chairman, Jo Bamford and CEO, Buta Atwal.

Last year Wrightbus launched the world’s first fleet of hydrogen double decker buses in Aberdeen, with more planned for major cities including Birmingham and London this year.

Mr Bamford said: “The funding will allow us to realise our ambitions of creating a centre of excellence for zero emission technology in Ballymena, enabling us to produce the next generation of world-leading hydrogen buses at a higher volume and a lower cost than ever before. It will safeguard more than 1,000 skilled jobs and will allow us to create more than 3,000 additional jobs over the next 10 years, giving a significant boost to the wider economy in Northern Ireland.”

Mr Atwal added: “The funding is a huge boost not just for Wrightbus, but for the people of Ballymena and the wider Northern Ireland economy. This money is vital to allow us to secure existing jobs and to build a stable future by creating thousands of new ones over the next decade. It is also the key as we look to help the UK achieve its net zero 2050 ambitions. It will allow us to create the next generation of hydrogen double and single decker buses at a larger scale and lower cost than ever before, as well as the creation of a zero-emmission centre of excellence in Ballymena that will not only positively impact the economy, but will benefit the UK and the world as we create leading new technology to drastically reduce CO2 levels.”

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