Zero Emission Institute

Our Zero Emission Institute is a hub of knowledge and expertise in sustainable fuel technology for all our passenger transport authority clients and our European businesses to tap into.

The role of the Zero Emission Institute

The Institute will accelerate Arriva’s journey to net-zero across Europe, working in partnership with cities and regions.

Expertise

Led by a team of experts in fleet planning, infrastructure and technology, the Institute is a central hub of knowledge and expertise for passenger transport authorities and for Arriva’s businesses, sharing pan-European experience and best practice in the roll-out of alternative fuels and zero emission fleets.

Partnership

By forging relationships with external stakeholders across the supply chain, as well as innovators in sustainable technologies, the Zero Emission Institute will support town and city transport authorities to fulfil their sustainability strategies.

The remit:

Accelerate the journey to net-zero through partnerships with passenger transport authorities, suppliers, industrial designers, energy solution providers and manufacturers.
Explore latest and emerging innovation with new clean fuel technologies.
Support Arriva’s businesses in the transition to zero-emission fleets including operational planning, charging infrastructure, scheduling and maintenance.
Develop fleet strategies with 11 European countries – 12,564 buses, 568 trains.
Gather data to analyse the performance of electric, hydrogen and biofuel technologies.
Share expertise with passenger transport authorities in cities and regions across Europe.

Hybrid trains

We have launched hybrid battery trains in the UK and the Netherlands – building our expertise in decarbonising the railways.

Clean fuels

Arriva's expertise in clean fuels goes back more than 10 years. Across our networks we operate electric buses and trains, as well as hydrogen buses, biofuel buses & trains and hybrid buses and trains.

Investing in depots

We are investing in our depots to future proof them as we expand our use of electric vehicles, Biomethane, Hydrogen and other alternative fuels.

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Academic partnerships

We are partnering with academic institutions to train the next generation of engineers - fit for a more sustainable future.

Clean vehicles

We have clean vehicles in almost all of our European markets - and we're working with our clients to accelerate the decarbonisation of passenger transport.

Shared goals for a cleaner future

We work with passenger transport authorities towards shared goals, developing long-term plans to select the right clean fuels, technologies and infrastructure for each city and region.

Decarbonisation requires long-term planning to ensure the right stakeholders are engaged early in the process.

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“Partnership with external stakeholders is critical if we are to genuinely decarbonise the public transport sector. Operators can’t do this alone – it requires collaboration, planning and expertise from across the industry, including energy suppliers and governments, to ensure we benefit from the latest technology and innovation and that momentum is maintained.”

Matt Greener

Director, Arriva Group’s Zero Emission Institute

Some facts about alternate fuels

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Compared to the capital cost of a diesel bus, a battery electric bus costs up to double and a hydrogen bus is up to triple the price.

Electric bus energy costs can be significantly lower per kilometre than the equivalent cost of diesel, whereas there is no operational cost benefit to using hydrogen versus diesel.

A very low percentage of global hydrogen is produced using renewable energy – this needs to change if it is to become a truly sustainable fuel option.

Biofuels and hybrids produce less CO2 on a well-to-wheel basis, but are not zero-emission and emit particulate matter which can impact local air quality.

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Partnering with the province of Limburg

Read about how we worked with the province of Limburg in the Netherlands to decarbonise public transport and help the passenger transport authority achieve its goals.

Find out more from our case study

Working in partnership with public transport authorities and municipalities

Efficient public transport should be interconnected so it keeps people moving. This also requires long-term planning to ensure public transport is prioritised over other road users.

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