Council bin lorry switch to HVO cuts emissions

Perth and Kinross Council is making the switch to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) after a successful trial of the diesel alternative.   

HVO is produced from 100% renewable waste and residue derived feedstocks, capable of cutting carbon emissions by up to 90%.

It can be used instead of traditional fossil fuels with minimum changes required to infrastructure and equipment. 

The six-month trial with six refuse collection lorries was started last year and resulted in an estimated saving 87 tonnes of carbon dioxide. 

It has led to a further 18 bin lorries based at the council’s Friarton Depot being swapped to HVO, with an estimated saving of around 500 tonnes of CO2 a year.

Perth and Kinross Council’s fleet manager, Pat Taggart, said: “The aim for us is to eventually have all our operational depots with bin lorries running on HVO, as part of our wider decarbonisation strategy. 

“Our experience to date has been a very positive one not only in the reduction of CO2 emissions from our fleet but also in the practicalities of changing over to HVO – we have not seen any adverse effects on our vehicles such as ad-hoc engine repairs, and the process of running down our diesel supply and moving to the new fuel has been straightforward. 

“I’m really pleased that we can do our part to support the circular economy by using waste materials and run our fleet on a certified clean fuel.”  

Darren Holloway, commercial director for energy solutions at Certas Energy, says that Perth and Kinross Council 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,” he added.

“We anticipate this trend to continue for the next decade, and the public sector will be a key driver for this.”