Kinetic wins Premier’s Sustainability Award for electric bus rollout in Melbourne
Kinetic’s leadership transforming Melbourne’s bus network to zero emissions has been recognised at the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards.
The company took out the Industry Leader gong in the Future Energy category.
This recognition follows the completion of significant electrification and infrastructure upgrades at two key Melbourne depots to power the city’s growing battery electric bus fleet.
The Premier’s Sustainability Awards are Victoria’s most prestigious annual sustainability awards program. Kinetic’s Head of Fleet Daniel Head accepted the award alongside the company’s local leadership team at a ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Kinetic is the proud operator of a third of Melbourne’s public bus network with 1300 people and 531 buses delivering 50 bus routes across the city as part of the Metropolitan Bus Franchise.
This transformation project, delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, is helping to deliver a cleaner, greener bus network for Victorians and supports the state’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The upgraded depots in Sunshine West and Heatherton include new undercover bays to provide weather protection and charging infrastructure installed to support what is the largest zero emission bus fleet of any Victorian bus operator.
The facilities feature renewable energy technology with a 400 solar panel array equating to approximately 200kW to reduce their carbon footprint. Electricity to power the buses is supplied by 100% renewable sources.
Kinetic has also delivered 24 electric buses to Melbourne since last year as part of an initial commitment of 36. They are among 250 zero emission buses across Kinetic’s network in Australia and New Zealand.
Kinetic co-CEO Michael Sewards congratulated the team in Melbourne on their commitment to lifting the bus experience.
“These projects an important milestone in our pathway to rollout electric buses in partnership with the Victorian Government – and we are humbled to see these efforts recognised as we get on with the job decarbonising the network,” Mr Sewards said.
“We’re proud to provide people with quieter and more comfortable journeys as we reduce pollution and remove diesel buses from the streets. We’re doing it here in Melbourne, and proudly right across our networks in Australia and New Zealand.”
Kinetic operates the most expansive zero emission fleet in Australasia, powered by a network of 10 electric depots.
Including its UK subsidiary Go-Ahead, Kinetic is expecting to grow its global electric bus network to 1,000 vehicles this year.
The company has a sustainability target to have an entirely electric fleet and be net zero emissions by 2035.
For more information, visit wearekinetic.com/sustainability/zero-emissions.
Further enquiries
Barrett Gibson
GM - Marketing & Communications
0424 647 488
barrettg@wearekinetic.com