Bin lorries run on treated vegetable oil in new pilot

Forty-four bin lorries in Kensington and Chelsea are swapping diesel fuel for hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in a climate friendly trial across the borough.

The move is expected to cut carbon emissions from the Council’s fleet of waste collection vehicles by 90 per cent. Over a year, that would equate to around 300 tonnes of carbon saved from the atmosphere.

Cllr Johnny Thalassites, lead member for net zero at Kensington and Chelsea Council said:

 

“Achieving net zero is increasingly difficult for councils who are rightly prioritising keeping essential services running for residents. By trialling hydrotreated vegetable oil in place of a polluting fuel like diesel, we are innovating without compromising service. Residents are still getting their bins collected twice a week, and it’s not costing more either – win win.

“A lot of HVO is reclaimed from catering. So next time you’re enjoying Friday night fish and chips, the oil used to fry your meal may well end up fuelling our waste collection vehicles.”

The price of the fuel is about the same as diesel currently, so the switch is not increasing costs for the Council and over time may be cheaper than diesel, as the cost of diesel as a finite resource increases.

The Council set an ambition in 2022 to create a greener, safer and fairer borough. The move to HVO saves 10 per cent of carbon emissions at the vehicle’s output and a massive 80 per cent at the source of the fuel. 

Other environmental improvements made by the Council includes improving the efficiency of its buildings with air source heat pumps installed in six of the borough’s schools and in Chelsea Old Town Hall and Chelsea leisure centre too. 

How is biofuel made?

Hydrotreated vegetable oil is made from cooking oils and animal fats that are treated with hydrogen to create fuel. The way HVO is made means it works in the engines of the existing vehicles, so it can simply replace the previous fuel source without any changes to the vehicles or any adverse effects on their engines.