Why First Bus is planning to decarbonise Yorkshire depots as well as vehicles - Garry Birmingham

The conversion enabled us to charge 150 buses and futureproof the depot, with the potential to manage up to 300 electric buses. This incredible project was not only a first for First Bus, but a massive step for the industry.

Caledonia offers a clear blueprint for a pipeline of depot decarbonisation, including here in Yorkshire. However, each depot comes with unique infrastructure that we must tailor our plans to and a unique set of challenges for us to overcome.

Available space is one. Caledonia sits on a 17-acre plot of industrial land, making it relatively easy. Sites of such scale will not always be available to us, in inner-city depots like those in Leeds for example, so going forward, we will need to condense the physical size of our decarbonised depot plans.

We are actively looking at ways to reduce the amount of space needed, be that by adapting existing buildings rather than constructing something new, or by getting creative and including roof-mounted chargers with cabling that will suspend safely.

We also know that working with the fabric of our buildings and infrastructure as they are, and causing minimal disruption, is very important. This means aligning to the existing aesthetic of a building and making changes in a positive way. For example, rather than digging up concrete to place an electric cable, we should try to dig up soft land, which is much more environmentally friendly.

Finally, there is a need to mitigate how much this physical disruption, and changes to the depot and the fleet within it, affects the people working there.

A timeline for decarbonisation that will allow First Bus to meet targets also depends significantly on fleet decarbonisation, and this understandably goes hand-in-hand with depot decarbonisation.

The transition to electric fleets is our biggest challenge.

Transforming fleets requires a significant amount of training and upskilling of our colleagues.

Staff retention and attracting new colleagues is incredibly important to us, so we are making sure the transition to electric is as positive as possible. We’re keen that our colleagues get to reap the rewards of having a decarbonised fleet, from gaining new skills to getting to enjoy cleaner and quieter journeys on board electric vehicles.

The second most significant challenge is the availability of funding. Whilst funding is currently on our side following recent wins with ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) in England and its Scottish equivalents, SULEB and ScotZEB, there is no guarantee of money in the future. We need to ensure that we work together with local transport authorities and other operators so that timelines and plans are aligned to create the best chance of being awarded funds.

And though we like to sustain our relationships with suppliers and work with them in mutual partnerships over long-periods, we are acutely aware that there are constantly new players entering the market. It’s a responsibility of ours to stay engaged with wide-ranging suppliers so we’re up to date with technology and equipment and that our decarbonisation timeline is supported in the most effective way possible.

In terms of milestones, we are currently tracking on target - including the First Bus 2035 Zero Emissions mission. Once we have delivered our initial plans of adding an additional 471 vehicles to our current fleet, we are looking to purchase around 400 electric buses each year. This is a huge number, but something that, at present, we feel is possible. These plans will no doubt be guided by funding, and we need to take into consideration the supply chain needed meet our demands.

As First Bus maintains its progress, we are leading the way in the UK for decarbonisation and will continue to transform depots and our bus fleet using the blueprint we have. Integral to this is also prioritising our people. After all, you can’t develop an expanding electric bus service without well-trained and engaged drivers and engineers.

Garry Birmingham is Director of Decarbonisation Delivery at First Bus