The Anonymous Widower

Wrightbus At Heart Of £6.5bn Hydrogen Mega-Project Set To Transform UK Economy

The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Love Ballymena.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Ballymena’s Wrightbus is at the forefront of a transformative £6.5 billion clean hydrogen initiative that promises to create 24,300 jobs across the UK and position the nation as a global leader in renewable energy.

Project HySpeed, unveiled this week, unites some of Britain’s most influential companies—including Wrightbus, Centrica, JCB, and ITM Power—in a landmark effort to scale up green hydrogen production, reduce costs, and accelerate industrial decarbonisation.

The project is a major coup for Ballymena, where Wrightbus, a pioneer in zero-emission transport, has been a vital part of the local economy for decades. As a key member of the HydraB Power group, which spearheads HySpeed, Wrightbus brings its expertise as the producer of the world’s first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus.

I believe we need the Irish dimension in Project HySpeed, as the Irish have a unique way of getting things done.

I am reminded by a story, that I heard from a retired Guards officer about the liberation of Vienna in World War II.

The city was in a desperate state and as he hold me the story, the retired officer said that a woman could be had for the price of two cigarettes.

In the mess one evening, the officers were discussing what to do, when an Irish Guards officer said, “The people need some fun! Let’s organise a horse race meeting!”

They all thought he was joking, but that is what they did!

The guy, who told the story is long since dead, but he believed that day of fun meant that Austria wasn’t taken over by the Soviets, like so many other East European countries.

The Irish do have this unique way of getting things done.

Note that the CEO of Centrica is Chris O’Shea. Does he have Irish roots?

April 14, 2025 - Posted by | Hydrogen, Sport, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments yet.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.