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Scarborough Bin Lorry Swaps Diesel for Vegetable Oil

What’s thought to be the biggest trial of an emissions-cutting new fuel in Yorkshire is underway in the borough of Scarborough

Waste fat and vegetable oil is being used to power dustbin lorries in the Scarborough Borough.

It's being used to fuel more than half the vehicles based at the borough council's Dean Road Depot ranging from large bin wagons to ride-on lawn mowers

Fleet Manager Steve Hood says the hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel is impressive.

The fuel is made from waste vegetable oil. It's being used to power over half the councils Diesel fleet including some bin lorries.

Steve Hood says the HVO fuel reduces carbon emissions by up to 90 percent, the council is hoping to roll it out to more vehicles.

Over the course of the 12-month trial, almost 900,000kg of carbon dioxide will be saved from harming the environment.   

HVO fuel also means fewer particulates and nitrogen oxides. While HVO is made from waste oils and fats derived from restaurants, there is no odour and the fuel does not include any additives such as palm oil.

As it is almost a like-for-like replacement of diesel, most vehicles can use it without any modification. Dean Road’s vans, trucks and plant equipment currently consume 30,000 litres of diesel a month.

At the same time the council has taken delivery of a fully electric bin wagon for a short-term trial. The vehicle has been supplied by manufacturer Dennis Eagle. Called the ‘eCollect’, the wagon is fitted with five packs of lithium-ion batteries which produce a combined 300KWh of power. It fully charges overnight and in trials elsewhere in the country has worked double collection shifts with charge remaining in the battery.

The borough of Scarborough will be more of a test for the vehicle because of some the steep gradients that diesel wagons must negotiate.

Councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, cabinet member for the environment and sustainability, said:

“The switch to HVO fuel means we will have one of the greenest vehicle fleets in the whole of North Yorkshire
“Cutting harmful emissions by 90 per cent means we will take a huge step towards our goal to minimise the harmful affect our services have on our fragile environment.

“Our overall CO2 emissions are the lowest they have been for more than 15 years and should be driven down further because of this trial.

“I am also delighted that Dennis Eagle has leant us a pure-electric bin wagon to test in the borough.

“It will be interesting to see how the vehicle performs in a real-world setting, especially given the challenging geography in some parts of our borough.”

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