Hydrogen-fueled Emergency Vehicles For Oxfordshire - Cherwell Project

Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue, together with engineering firm ULEMCo, are developing a project worth £7.8m. The government recently granted them £3.9m. The project aims to produce an alternative to fossil fuels for emergency vehicles. They are creating a hydrogen-powered solution.

The county council is trying to reduce its operational emissions to net zero carbon by 2030. The scheme is a part of it.

Pete Sudbury said hydrogen is important for decarbonisation. Oxfordshire County Council partners with ULEMCo to explore zero carbon solutions. The aim is to reach the 2030 target. This partnership is an important step to advance zero carbon solutions.

ULEMCo and the council work together. They want to make a hydrogen fuel cell. This could help vehicles like fire engines, ambulances, and street sweepers.

The Chief Officer of Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue Service is Rob MacDougall. He believes that it's tough to handle heavy fire engines. However, he thinks hydrogen powered fuel cells can help the county reach their climate goals.

The project was in research phase since 2021. But with the recent funding, it will progress. It may even have a prototype soon.

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