EDF Renewables UK has signed an agreement with Oxford Bus Company for an 8MW connection at Cowley bus depot to enable electric buses across the city.
The project for the bus firm, which is part of The Go-Ahead Group, will enable the electric buses to charge overnight, with depot charging infrastructure powered by the EDF Renewables UK substation at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot.
The substation was installed and connected last year by EDF Renewables UK in anticipation of the agreement being reached this month. This deal is part of the four-year Energy Superhub Oxford urban decarbonisation project, which has seen a battery storage system, a private charging network and an EV charging hub at Redbridge Park & Ride installed so far.
With co-funding from Go Ahead, Oxfordshire County Council and the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, Oxford Bus Company has ordered 104 new electric buses for use across the city by the end of 2023.
Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said: “Go-Ahead Group and Oxford Bus Company’s ambition to transition to a zero-emission fleet has been in planning for several years already. This agreement with EDF Renewables UK takes us one step closer to having more electric
buses in Oxford, and is a key milestone in our exciting electric transformation journey.”
Marianne Costigan, Head of Private Wire at EDF Renewables UK, said: “Energy Superhub Oxford has given the city a breadth of opportunities to decarbonise and combat climate change, and we’ve already seen considerable success with the EV charging hub.
“Electrifying Oxford’s buses by taking advantage of the high voltage connection enabled by Energy Superhub Oxford will significantly improve air quality in and around the city and boost the already key role that buses play by replacing cars. Together, the changes brought about by Energy Superhub Oxford will have truly accelerated the region’s journey towards net zero.”
