Issue - meetings

(i)         to note the Council’s updated project budget in the FCHJU Fuel Cell Commercialisation Project;

(ii)        to note the project risks around the budget;

(iii)       to agree the Council’s participation and financial contribution of £2,500,000 towards the project subject to:-

(1)       a Scottish Government financial contribution of £3,000,000;

(2)       bus operators’ agreement and financial contribution;

(3)       the Council’s capital budget review process;

(iv)       to note that a decision on Scottish Government funding would not be received until early 2017;

(v)        to instruct the Chief Executive to write to Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, copying in all local Councillors, MP’s and MSP’s providing them both with copies of the report emphasising that without Scottish Government funding this project will be unable to proceed;

(vi)       to instruct officers to engage with the bus companies involved to determine their financial input to the project;

(vii)      to instruct officers to circulate to members of the Committee any correspondence between Council officers and the Scot Government relating to the financial input of the Scottish Government to the project;

(viii)     to instruct officers to circulate to members of the Committee evidence guaranteeing that the FCHJU (EU) money for Aberdeen was guaranteed for Aberdeen only; and

(ix)       to instruct officers to circulate to members of the Committee details relating to BSOG’s position.

With reference to article 29 of the minute of meeting of Finance, Policy and Resources of 19 April 2016, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure which presented the business case for Aberdeen City Council for the Joint Initiative Hydrogen Vehicles Across Europe (JIVE) project – a Fuel Cell Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) funded project which aimed to commercialise hydrogen fuel cell buses in Europe.  The project would introduce additional hydrogen buses into Aberdeen City Council’s Hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       note the Council’s updated project budget in the FCHJU Fuel Cell Commercialisation Project;

(b)       note the project risks around the budget;

(c)        agree the Council’s participation and financial contribution of £2,500,000 towards the project subject to:-

(1)       a Scottish Government financial contribution of £3,000,000;

(2)       bus operators’ agreement and financial contribution;

(3)       the Council’s capital budget review process; and

(d)       note that a decision on Scottish Government funding would not be received until early 2017;

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(ii)        to instruct the Chief Executive to write to Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, copying in all local Councillors, MP’s and MSP’s providing them with copies of the report emphasising that without Scottish Government funding this project will be unable to proceed;

(iii)       to instruct officers to engage with the bus companies involved to determine their financial input to the project;

(iv)       to instruct officers to circulate to members of the Committee any correspondence between Council officers and the Scot Government relating to the financial input of the Scottish Government to the project;

(v)        to instruct officers to circulate to members of the Committee evidence guaranteeing that the FCHJU (EU) money for Aberdeen was guaranteed for Aberdeen only; and

(vi)       to instruct officers to circulate to members of the Committee details relating to BSOG’s position.