Northern Ireland-based Wrights Group has secured an order from Aberdeen City Council for a fleet of 15 hydrogen-powered double-deck buses that only emit water.

These will complement Aberdeen’s existing hydrogen-vehicle portfolio, which already features a fleet of 10 fuel-cell buses, as well as a range of vans and cars.

The new buses (www.wrightsgroup.com) will be delivered later this year and will have a longer range than their electric equivalents, with refuelling taking less than 10min.

The contract, jointly funded by Aberdeen City Council, the European Union and the Scottish government, represents an investment of around £500,000 per vehicle. The buses will be operated by First Aberdeen.

David Barnett, business development director, said: “Wrightbus is delighted to have worked with Aberdeen City Council and First Aberdeen on this exciting project.

"The fuel-cell electric-bus range demonstrates yet again the company’s technical excellence.

"The vehicle offers pioneering cities like Aberdeen the opportunity to replace diesel buses with zero-emission buses on a one-to-one basis.”

Scotland’s energy minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Our track record of early actions to fund hydrogen initiatives has created a favourable opinion of Scotland in the UK and abroad as an innovation leader in this area.

"We were delighted to contribute to the funding that has made this next phase of Aberdeen’s hydrogen journey possible.

"This important investment will help the city achieve its decarbonisation ambitions and further cement its reputation for innovation and technology.”