Cambridge buses could be going biogas

Britain's first biogas-powered double-decker bus is being trialled on guided busway services in Cambridgeshire by operator Stagecoach East.

The six-week trial of a ‘greener’ Enviro 400 Scania double-decker began on November 1 – and, last week, the bus company showcased the benefits of running such a bus in real-life service to key stakeholders, local MPs and city council members.

The Scania model runs on biogas, which reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 84 per cent. Travelling in a biogas bus is 50 times cleaner than travelling by car. Scania says it is the greenest bus available of 19 models under the Low Emission Bus Scheme.

Andy Campbell, managing director of Stagecoach East said: “The technology around biogas-powered buses is still very new, but trials of bio-methane gas have proved very encouraging, resulting in minimal emissions.

“Looking after the environment is an important consideration for us. We have frequent bus services running every 10 minutes, and so we are actively working at reducing our environmental impact wherever possible.

“By continually striving to improve the fleet, we aim to deliver the highest, as well as the greenest, standards of public transport in our city, both now and in the future.”

Biogas is created from waste products such as household food waste, farm waste and sewage – making it a natural and renewable fuel to produce.

An average car journey emits 120g of CO2 per km, while the equivalent journey using a biogas bus emits around 2.4g per km.

Biogas-powered buses additionally help the environment by using products otherwise destined for landfill, reducing methane which would have been released into the atmosphere if the waste products had been left to decompose naturally.

A specially blended 30 per cent bio-fuel is already used across the entire Stagecoach East fleet.

The company invested £4.7million in a fleet of 22 greener Park & Ride buses.