Northern Ireland bus manufacturer secures new European order for 28 hydrogen buses

Ballymena zero-emission bus manufacturer Wrightbus has secured another major European order for its hydrogen single deck bus.

German transport company Saarbahn GmbH has ordered 28 Kite Hydroliners with the first due to be delivered this year.

Together with Saarbahn Netz GmbH, Saarbahn GmbH employs around 580 people and transports around 43.7 million passengers by road and rail every year.

The order is another significant deal for Wrightbus in the European market, following orders in Germany from West Verkehr, which will receive 12 single-deck Kite Hydroliners, and Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), which has signed a contract for up to 60 Kite Hydroliners.

Further contracts for 51 buses from two additional customers have already been signed in 2024.

Wrightbus offers a wide range of zero emission buses in Europe and the UK, including single and double deck hydrogen and battery electric buses.

The buses will be built at the Wrightbus factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, supporting hundreds of new high-skilled jobs to help level up and grow the economy.

Jean-Marc Gales, chief executive of Wrightbus, said: “This is a significant deal for Wrightbus, Saarbahn GmbH and the people of Saarland. We are delighted to deliver even more zero-emission buses in support of clear net zero targets

“Saarbahn is the largest public transport operator in Saarbrücken and the surrounding area. Therefore, adding hydrogen buses to the fleet will have a significant positive impact on the region’s environment.”

Project manager Torsten Burgardt from Saarbahn, added: “We are extremely pleased to be working with Wrightbus to bring zero-emission buses to the roads of Saarland. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and this is the first step towards ensuring that half of our fleet is made up of zero-emission buses in the next three years.”