Media Releases

First in Fleet of Bio-Ethanol Buses Comes To Reading Tomorrow

23/04/2008

Press Release

Reading takes delivery of its first bio-ethanol bus this week as the town begins rolling out a fleet of new `green' buses which will slash carbon emissions by 80%.

Over the coming weeks 13 further bio-ethanol powered buses will roll into Reading and will be used on Route 17 - Reading's best used bus service which runs from Tilehurst to Wokingham Road via the town centre and is used by six million passengers every year.

Reading will be the first area in the UK to introduce such a large fleet of buses using the low carbon, low emission fuel.

The buses are powered by sugar beet waste which is grown in the UK on existing farmland which means it has no impact on agricultural land currently used for food production as the material used to produce it is a waste product.

The joint Reading Borough Council and Reading Buses initiative aims to cut carbon dioxide levels along the route and improve general air quality through the reduction of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon emissions.

Once in operation, passengers boarding the specially-branded number 17 buses can do so in the knowledge they are riding not only the `greenest' buses in Reading, but one of the most environmentally-friendly buses in the country.

Steve Waite, Lead Councillor for Environment at Reading Borough Council, said: "This scheme is using only bi-products of sugar beet from UK sources and is a welcome addition to the range of measures to help us mitigate climate change."

Tony Jones, Chair of Reading Buses, said: "This is yet another example of the excellent relationship between Reading Buses and Reading Borough Council continuing to deliver improved services for residents and leading the way on tackling emissions."

Reading's bio-ethanol is produced from sugar beet waste grown in the UK and produced at British Sugar's new plant at Wissington in Norfolk. It is environmentally certified to ensure the production cycle does not lead to changes in land use or the substitution of raw materials currently used for food production. This means there is no affect on habitats, like tropical rainforests for example, as the raw material is grown in the UK on existing farmlands.

Stockholm in Sweden introduced a bus fleet using bio-ethanol fuel 10 years ago and now only bio-ethanol buses are used in its central area. The use of the environmentally friendly buses has reduced overall emissions in the city by more than 9%.

A bio-ethanol fuel station within Reading Bus Depot at Great Knollys Street has also been introduced as part of the scheme, and the supply contract will guarantee the availability of bio-ethanol fuel to supply the entire bus fleet for the next 10 years, with an option for a further 10.

The Council covered the cost of this station, (about £200,000) with the view to making it available to other bus operators and also using the fuel to run council-owned vehicles.

ENDS

Notes for Editors: A PHOTOCALL WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 23RD AT 8.30AM AT READING BUSES DEPOT, GREAT KNOLLYS STREET WHERE COUNCILLORS WILL BE WELCOMING THE ARRIVAL OF THE WORLD’S FIRST NEW BIO-ETHANOL DOUBLE-DECKER BUS.

Oscar Mortali
Tel: 0118 939 0301