A New South Wales council has officially implemented a hydrogen-powered waste truck as part of a trial in Byron Bay.
Since late last year, rubbish collection in the Byron Council’s neighbourhoods have been emission free courtesy of the trial of the new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle.
The vehicle is operated by Solo Resource Recovery and is currently undergoing a three-week period ahead of a view to extend the trial.
The truck is one of only a handful of hydrogen-powered electric vehicles of its kind in NSW and will operate around Byron Bay CBD.
The data gathered through this trial will help to inform how council may move away from diesel-fuelled trucks into more renewable energy in the future.
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The council’s manager of resource recovery Danielle Hanigan says the council was keen to explore the potential of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles as part its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
“The vehicles is the same size as a normal waste truck, but it looks different and is branded as a hydrogen vehicle, so it won’t be hard to miss,” Hanigan says.
“We are the first council in the Northern Rivers to trial a hydrogen-powered truck, and the busy Byron Bay town centre will be a good test of its range and performance, especially at this time of year.
“Council is investing in electric vehicles, including trucks, as part of its own fleet and we are very keen to see, first-hand, the potential of hydrogen as an alternative to traditional diesel-powered trucks.
“The environmental benefits are front-of-mind for council, but this truck will also be much quieter in the street so there will be less noise pollution.”
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