Hydro power for city tram system
A collaboration to provide hydroelectricity for the tram system in Manchester, UK, comes hot on the heels of an announcement that the UK city will be the second place in Britain to introduce congestion charging.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE)
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have teamed up in order to provide greener travel for Manchester’s inhabitants, providing a low-carbon alternative to traditional means of transport.
Philip Purdy, Metrolink director at GMPTE, claimed that the trams already run without polluting at street level, meaning that the use of hydroelectricity will further reduce their environmental impact.
“Anyone who travels on Metrolink instead of using their car is already helping to fight climate change as trams are nearly four times better for the environment,” he commented. “Using hydropower will make them even more environmentally-friendly.”
According to a survey, nearly one-fifth of people in Manchester state that they have changed their travel habits as a result of climate change concerns.
