Suttons Tankers has begun an eight-week trial using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as an alternative fuel, as part of its goal to become net zero by 2040.
HVO is a sustainable fuel source with a lower carbon footprint than diesel that can be used in place of diesel in existing diesel engines (no modification is needed), thereby reducing CO2 emissions by a minimum of 85%. The trial aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 91,000kg on just five routes. Full implementation of HVO throughout the Suttons fleet would reduce 39,000 tons of CO2 – 85% of its Scope 1 emissions.
Steve Hassall, fleet director at Suttons, commented, “Sustainability, ESG and reducing our carbon footprint are at the absolute forefront of our agenda at Suttons, and in order to move this forward we are trialling HVO so that we can fully understand the emissions reductions, costs and practicalities of this product. It is naturally more difficult for logistics businesses to reduce their impact on the environment than other industries, but the emergence of alternative fuels such as HVO is a step in the right direction and one that will significantly reduce emissions.”
Martin Tomlinson, head of media and truck demonstration at Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, said, “Running fleets on HVO brings a lot of advantages; it’s a less water- and land-intensive alternative to biodiesel, and its high quality as a fuel means it can be used in any of our latest Euro 6 diesel trucks. Last year we even fueled our own 44-ton Volvo FH with I-Save demonstrator with HVO when it set a new record of 9.82mpg around the demanding commercial motor Scottish test route, highlighting its suitability as a drop-in replacement for regular diesel.”
Read more key sustainability updates from the parcel and postal technology industry, here.