Major Bristol bus depot undergoes £37m transformation to become 100% electric as part of zero-emission target
A major Bristol bus depot has undergone a massive £37m transformation to become 100% electric as part of its ambitions to become zero-emission by 2035.
NG Bailey, the UK’s largest independent services and engineering company, completed electrification work on First Bus’s Hengrove depot in Bristol as it continues to support the company’s commitment to have a zero-emission fleet by 2035.
The new depot has capacity to charge the 74 new electric buses joining the city’s network, with each bus saving about 75 tonnes of CO2 each year. The upgrade comes as part of a £37.4m investment by First Bus at the Hengrove depot and is supported by £6.6m of government funding through its Zero Emissions Bus Regional Areas 2 (ZEBRA2) scheme.
NG Bailey led on the development and installation of all the electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the site, including all associated low voltage (LV) electrical infrastructure and civils work. This included the installation of five 70m overhead gantry structures that minimise any loss of parking and allow cables to be lowered automatically to the vehicles.
“The completion of the site in Hengrove marks a significant milestone in First Bus’s journey towards a zero-emission fleet and we are pleased to be playing a pivotal role in delivering the infrastructure that will make this possible,” said Alex Chilvers, Director for NG Bailey’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure team.
“We also worked hard to manage logistics and safety on site, ensuring all the work was completed while the site remained fully operational. If the UK is to meet its ambitious goals for decarbonisation, the adoption of EVs across public transportation is vital.
“Marking one of the largest EV gantry installations in the UK to date, this project will make a real difference to supporting not only First Bus’s wider sustainability goals, but the electrification of transport across the UK.”
The new depot features 26 Heliox Flex 180 kW chargers with 77 reels and six Heliox Rapid 36kw all in one chargers, both of which deliver consistent power and maximum uptime while reducing energy wastage. Now completed, it means the site is one of the largest EV gantry installations in the UK.
The successful completion at Hengrove builds on NG Bailey’s significant expertise in delivering electrical infrastructure and EV solutions, with the company currently working on several EV charging hub projects across the UK.