Fleet
decarbonisation
challenge
Surface transport (as opposed to aviation) is the
largest CO²e emitting sector in the UK; it's the
only industry sector in Europe that is on the rise,
and is a significant challenge to decarbonisation.
The chart below shows progress of each sector
between 2013 and 2018:
Insert P23 Emissions chart
According to the 2019 Progress Report by the
UK Climate Change Committee, decisions about
how to switch to zero-emissions HGVs (e.g.
hydrogen or electric) will be required in the
second half of the 2020s[1]. The UK
Government's Transport Decarbonisation
Update in July 2021 acknowledges that HGVs
pose the toughest challenge[2].
Whilst we wait for technological innovation
around EVs and Hydrogen, in last year's report,
we mentioned the possibility of a trial of HVO
(Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil) as an alternative
drop-in fuel at one of our depots, and we plan to
revisit this in 2022, as the pandemic put this on
hold. HVO is of interest because scientific
studies and field trials have shown that it
produces 33% fewer particulates than fossil
diesel, 30% lower hydrocarbon emissions, 24%
less carbon monoxide and 9% less NOx
(nitrogen oxide). HVO can be seen as a
transition fuel in that it represents a medium
term solution for fleets that want to reduce
carbon emissions before the proliferation of
electric/hydrogen vehicles. Currently, HVO is
available from only a small number of
distributors in the UK, and not all vehicle
manufacturers are willing to allow its use in their
tanks. Among the fuel's drawbacks is the price.
It is around 10% to 15% more expensive than
conventional diesel. There are indications of
cost savings in other areas (maintenance, fuel
economy), indeed testing by Cummins a few
years ago on Euro 5 showed a 2.3% fuel saving.
[3] We need to understand more about its
feasibility by conducting a trial on our own fleet
in our normal operating conditions. We will
continue to follow developments in this area
Routing eƍciency
Click here to read an update on how we're
routing our trucks more efficiently