Kinetic Melbourne, operator of the Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Franchise, has been unveiled as a finalist in the Future Energy category of the 2023 Premier’s Sustainability Awards for its Zero Emissions Bus Depot upgrade in Victoria.
Now in its 21st year, Victoria’s most prestigious annual sustainability awards program recognises the businesses, local governments and communities leading the way in sustainability and celebrates their achievements.
The Premier’s Sustainability Awards has six categories, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, with two winners in each category.
The Community Champion Award celebrates individuals, small organisations and local government, and the Industry Leader Award recognises medium and large organisations driving a sustainable future.
Kinetic Melbourne, an Industry Leader finalist in the Future Energy category, is creating a cleaner, greener bus network for Victorians by upgrading electrical infrastructure at Kinetic’s Sunshine West and Heatherton depots to house and charge 36 new battery electric buses (BEB)– the largest BEB fleet of any Victorian bus operator.
To support the roll out, new undercover bays have been built to provide weather protection and charging infrastructure for the buses at Kinetic’s Sunshine West and Heatherton depots.
More than 380 solar panels have been installed to reduce the depots’ carbon footprint, and the electricity to power the buses is 100 per cent green via a carbon offset program.
Kinetic committed to introducing zero and low emissions buses as part of its successful bid for the $2.3 billion Metropolitan Bus Franchise in 2021, which includes replacing 163 diesel buses with 36 battery electric buses and 127 hybrid buses by mid-2025.
The growing fleet of nine electric buses is already operating out of the Sunshine West and Heatherton depots, supporting 16 metropolitan routes. These buses have already clocked up more than 209,000 kms and saved over 216 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Learnings from the initial deployment of BEBs by Kinetic will supplement the findings of the Victorian government’s $20 million Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Trial.
The three-year ZEB Trial will inform the transition of around 4,000 diesel buses in the state’s public fleet, including around 2,200 in regional Victoria, to zero emissions. From 2025, all new buses on Victoria’s public transport routes will be zero emissions.
Sustainability Victoria interim CEO Matt Genever says he’s inspired by the work being done by the finalists to create a more sustainable future for Victorians.
“Kinetic Melbourne is leading the way in sustainability, and I look forward to recognising their achievements at the awards ceremony in November,” Genever says.
The judging panel included a broad range of independent environmental experts selected for their sustainability and industry expertise.
For further information about the Premier’s Sustainability Awards finalists, visit https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/psa-2023-finalists. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Melbourne on November 23.