Fleet emissions of refuse collection vehicles cut by a fifth

North Ayrshire Council has announced it has switched 36 refuse collection vehicles from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

The move is expected to save roughly 2,529 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 12 months, equating to more than a fifth of the overall fleet-produced emissions. 

Approximately one million litres of HVO will be consumed over the course of the year.

The Scottish Government has set its ambitions to phase out the need for new petrol or diesel vehicles in public sector fleets by 2030, and ending the sales of diesel HGVs for vehicles between 3.5 and 26 tonnes by 2035.

HVO, otherwise known as ‘renewable diesel’, is produced from waste cooking oil, animal fat, and forestry materials that are thermochemically treated with hydrogen.

The drop-in fuel can be used in vehicles or equipment designed for standard diesel, without any changes to the engine or infrastructure, and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent. 

Councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for green environment and economy, said: “As a local authority, we are continually striving to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure that climate change and sustainability are at the heart of the decisions we make. 

“Using HVO will help to make a significant impact, cutting the overall reduction of fleet-produced emissions by more than 20%.”

Darren Holloway, commercial director for energy solutions at Certas Energy, said: “We are thrilled to be fuelling the transition to net zero for North Ayrshire Council, who are one of a growing number of public sector organisations switching to HVO. 

“Demand for HVO is growing year-on-year across the UK as more organisations are understanding the sustainability benefits of switching to this fuel. We anticipate this trend to continue for the next decade, and the public sector will be a key driver for this.”

North Ayrshire Council is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions, halt biodiversity loss, and be Nature Positive by 2030, according to its Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy.