Going green with biofuel trial in council vehicles

Saturday, 26 March 2022 11:04

By David Murphy

Biofuel is to be trialled in council vehicles as part of measures to go green, reduce emissions and tackle climate change.

A biofuel tank has been installed at the council’s operational depot in Bradley Fold and will be used to fill up a waste collection vehicle and a van.

If the trial is successful, biofuel will gradually be extended to the council’s fleet of vehicles, a move which would reduce their CO2 emissions by 90%.

Biofuel is any kind of fuel that is directly derived from plant or animal matter, rather than from fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “The council has declared a climate emergency, so it’s important that we take the lead in reducing our carbon emissions by using cleaner vehicles and encouraging others to do the same.

“The current crisis in Ukraine, and soaring fuel bills, tells us how essential it is to move to renewable forms of clean energy. This will benefit our economy and our environment – it’s a win-win situation.”

The council has a £10 million programme to replace its fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles, including electric vans.

Some 19 new waste collection vehicles are arriving in Bury, all of them low-emission. Fourteen of them are Rotopress vehicles, which have fewer moving parts and therefore greater reliability. They carry half a ton more waste, which means fewer miles need to be travelled to pick up rubbish and take it to the waste transfer facility, which saves fuel and emissions.

To read about Bury’s climate action plan, go to https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16521