The multi-million-pound investment is set to be made in partnership with Wrightbus’ sister company, Hygen Energy, set up by the company’s owner, Jo Bamford, who bought Wightbus out of administration in 2019.

H2 View understands a planning application is yet to be submitted, however, if successful, Wrightbus hopes the site will be operational by the summer of 2024, providing enough hydrogen to fuel 300 buses per day, but could triple in scale.

The proposed development will make use of an existing building on the Ballymena site, with equipment planned to be installed inside and outside of the building.

“Wrightbus is delighted to be working with Hygen on this hydrogen production project at our factory in Ballymena,” said Jo Bamford, Chairman of Wrightbus. “One of our key objectives when we purchased Wrightbus in 2019 was to bring the first UK manufactured hydrogen double decker bus to market.”

Launched in January 2021, Wrightbus’ fleet hydrogen-powered double decker bus, the Streetdeck Hydroliner, hit one million miles of service in May 2022.

Read more: One million milestone hit by Wrightbus

The bus fleet has seen service in major UK and Irish cities, such as London, Birmingham, Dublin, Belfast, and Aberdeen.

Bamford added, “Hydrogen is the best means of decarbonising many bus routes, but for thus to happen, bus operators need a reliable and voluminous supply of low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen. It is great to see a project that is being sized to enable future demand for hydrogen here in Northern Ireland to be met.”

HyGen Energy, a joint venture between Bamford-owned HydraB and Armstrong Capital Management, was created in September last year (2022) with plans to boost green hydrogen production across the UK and Ireland.

Just a few months later in December 2022, HyGen revealed it had raised £27m ($32.5m) in funding from HyCap to start developing its 300MW hydrogen project pipeline.

Read more: HyGen announces £27m capital raise to develop hydrogen project pipeline