Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has agreed a long-term renewable energy deal aimed at helping power the growing Bee Network and supporting the region’s transition to a fully zero-emission bus fleet.
The 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with renewable energy developer AGR Power will give TfGM access to UK-generated clean electricity at an agreed price, providing greater certainty over future energy costs while supporting the development of new renewable generation.
The deal is particularly significant as Greater Manchester continues to expand its zero-emission bus operation. TfGM expects electricity demand to increase substantially as more diesel buses are replaced by electric vehicles and charging infrastructure is rolled out across the network.
Under the agreement, electricity generated by AGR Power’s solar development at Burwell in Cambridgeshire will be exported to the National Grid, while TfGM secures access to an equivalent volume of renewable electricity at a fixed price.
The arrangement will provide 42 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity each year, equivalent to the current power requirements of TfGM’s Metrolink operation and more than half of the organisation’s present energy consumption.
While the agreement will help support the wider Bee Network, TfGM has indicated that further PPAs could be explored as electricity demand rises, with the longer-term objective of supporting the electrification of the entire bus operation, including depots.
The move is also intended to protect TfGM from future energy price volatility, with PPAs providing organisations with greater protection against fluctuations in wholesale electricity markets, supply chain disruption and wider geopolitical pressures.
TfGM says the agreement represents a further step towards its ambition of delivering the UK’s first carbon-neutral public transport network, with renewable energy playing an increasingly important role as Greater Manchester decarbonises its bus and tram operations.
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Portfolio Lead for the Green City-Region, said:
“Homegrown renewable energy will provide a win-win situation for us. It will give us green, clean energy, help protect residents from energy costs rises and result in more money going back into our communities.
“By securing clean energy for the long-term, we are helping to future-proof the Bee Network while supporting new renewable infrastructure here in the UK.
“We are embracing the future right now, and we look forward to working with a partner in AGR who shares our commitment to making our public transport cleaner, greener and more resilient for the future.”
(Picture: TfGM)
