RAC trials hydrotreated vegetable oil to fuel recovery trucks

The RAC is trialling 100% renewable hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as an alternative to diesel to power its recovery trucks. 

Part of the RAC’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions, it has installed a tank at its headquarters in Walsall to store the alternative fuel, which can generate a reduction of up to 85% in CO2 emissions.

It will be used to run the seven recovery trucks based at the RAC’s HQ and it is hoped could save up to 300,000kg of CO2 per year.

RAC fleet manager Matt Hilliar said: “This is an exciting project which will deliver both environmental and business benefits. If the trial continues to be as successful as the early indications show, we will explore using HVO more widely.”

The RAC has chosen Certas Energy – the UK’s largest distributor of fuel and lubricants – as its HVO supplier. 

Its HVO is made from 100% renewable raw materials and sustainable waste from verified vegetable fats and oils, making it ideal for use in both on and off-road commercial vehicles and machinery.

Steve Little, managing director at Certas Energy, said: “Our collaboration with the RAC marks a significant milestone in actively reducing carbon emissions across the UK's roadside assistance fleet.

“Transitioning to HVO is a great short- and medium-term solution to drastically reduce carbon emissions as the transport sector continues to transition to electric vehicles.”

During the ‘The Right Fuel, Right Vehicle, Right Time’ seminar at Fleet and Mobility Live, chaired by Lorna McAtear, head of fleet at National Grid, delegates heard trials carried out by the London Borough of Hackney and Transport for London (FtL) found the fuel offers a carbon efficiency of 90-92% compared to forecourt diesel.

The London Borough of Hackney worked with TfL to create a test cycle to represent a multi-drop parcel delivery round for a truck, and first carried out baseline testing using normal forecourt diesel.

It then cleaned all the filters, cleaned out the fuel system and filled up with 100% HVO.

“We ran the same test again and got a 12% carbon reduction and 69% NOx reduction at the tailpipe,” said Norman Harding, fleet manager for the London Borough of Hackney.

“That is phenomenal by anyone’s standard and bearing in mind the fuel is made from a waste product in the first place, it’s 80% carbon efficient before it goes through the combustion process, and 12% carbon efficient after the combustion process.

“You’re looking at 90-92% carbon efficiency and that, for me, was a win-win. I bought into it lock, stock and barrel, and almost all my diesel vehicles, my tractors, buses and agricultural plant is all running on 100% HVO.”