Chip fat to power busway services

An artist's impression of the Cambridgeshire guided busway

Buses that are powered by recycled chip fat are to operate on the guided busway in Cambridgeshire.

Operator Stagecoach has ordered 20 of the vehicles, at a cost of £20m, which will be powered by 100% bio-fuel made from recycled food waste.

The buses will be used on the 16-mile (25km) £116.2m guided busway scheme, due to be completed next April.

Huntingdon, St Ives and Cambridge will be linked by the busway which is hoped will help reduce congestion.

Andy Campbell, managing director of Stagecoach in Cambridge, said: "Since it is recycled oil, it isn't affecting the food chain in any way, and we're sure passengers will like the fact that we are being green in this way.

"We have been doing some experiments in Scotland using recycled chip oil as a fuel, and it has worked very well."

The bus route is being built to meet the needs of residents of the 47,000 houses that are expected to be built in the Cambridge area by 2016.

It is also hoped it will relieve congestion on the A14 and in Cambridge city centre.