Ireland's National Transport Authority (NTA) has struck a historic deal with Northern Ireland firm Wrightbus for up to 800 zero-emission battery-electric buses.

Manufactured and assembled at the Wrightbus facility in Galgorm, these Streetdeck Electroliner BEVs will be the first battery-electric double-deck buses to be added to the national bus fleet in Ireland.

The order of 120 double-deck battery-electric buses are part of a framework agreement which provides for the procurement of up to 800 zero-emission battery-electric buses over a period of five years.

The framework agreement now in place between the NTA and Wrightbus has the potential to be the single biggest bus procurement in the history of the State.

This historic deal is a major component of the overall strategy to build a sustainable future by decarbonising the country's PSO public transport fleet, and is in line with a number of key national policy directives.

As they incorporate a fully battery-electric powertrain, the buses will operate with zero tailpipe-emissions, which will contribute to a substantial improvement in air quality in the cities and towns in which they are deployed.

This initial order for 120 buses represents an investment of some €80.4 million.

Of the 120 buses currently on order, 100 are destined for use by Dublin Bus on PSO bus services within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and 20 are destined for use by Bus Éireann for use in the Limerick Metropolitan Area. Buses from future orders may also be used to operate PSO bus services in other parts of Ireland, including the metropolitan areas of Cork, Galway and Waterford.

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Commissioning and training activities will get underway later this year, as will work on installing the necessary charging infrastructure. The first buses are expected to enter passenger service in 2023.

The buses will be outshopped in the green, white and yellow Transport For Ireland (TFI) livery which is in the course of being applied to all buses and coaches in the PSO fleet.

Speaking about the deal, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said: "We know that decarbonising transport is imperative, as part of our effort to tackle climate change. Public transport because it is shared mobility is already a far more sustainable and economical way of getting around, particularly compared to a private car that runs on fossil fuel, and the battery-electric buses that we are now ordering, will accelerate the transition to a zero-emission fleet.

"Going electric will reduce the carbon footprint of our public transport fleet, and will help us reach our long-term climate goals, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan. These new electric buses will also help reduce air pollution, improve public health and improve access to public transport for people of all abilities.

"I welcome today's announcement and look forward to seeing cleaner and greener buses in operation in our cities."

CEO of the NTA, Anne Graham commented: "The transition to a zero-emission bus fleet is a central component of our BusConnects project, and the procurement of these battery-electric buses represents a key milestone in that process.

"There is no doubt that people are looking to us to provide better, more sustainable transport alternatives in all areas, and it is incumbent on us as an Authority to respond to that demand in a positive way. In so doing, we will reduce the need for personal vehicles, making the quality of the air we breathe healthier for everyone.

"When it comes to taking climate action, we in the NTA want to play our part and we want to lead by example. We are doing that by transitioning our public transport fleet away from fossil fuel to zero emission technologies and as you see today we are making real progress. This process is already under way, and when complete in 2035 will result public transport emissions being massively reduced."

Neil Collins, Managing Director of Wrightbus, added: "We are extremely proud of this historic deal, which is hugely significant for Ireland's decarbonisation ambitions and for us here at Wrightbus.

"This deal further cements the reputation we have built in the zero-emission sector, and follows hot on the heels of historic deals in Australia and Germany. This shows our ambition to be at the forefront of the zero emission drive in cities, towns and rural areas across the world."