Newark and Sherwood District Council to Pilot Vegetable Oil Fuel for Fleet

Waste collection and street maintenance vehicles in a section of Nottinghamshire could potentially operate on vegetable oil fuel in the future, as part of an effort to decrease fleet emissions by one-third. Newark and Sherwood District Council has established a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. While a segment of its vehicle fleet is electric, officials have indicated that alternative fuel sources are necessary for those vehicles covering more extensive, rural territories. Council officers have announced their intention to explore a trial involving Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel. Greg Dowson, the environmental policy and projects officer, informed a Policy and Performance Improvement Committee meeting that this trial is part of a broader initiative to reduce emissions across the authority, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Regarding the necessity of a trial, he stated, “They do want to make absolutely sure it won’t cause any issues.” He further elaborated, “Because of the physical geography of our district, electrification isn’t quite there yet, which is why we need to switch to an alternative fuel source.” Other measures include the installation of solar panels on leisure buildings, which are projected to save £42,318 in energy costs over the next 12 months and reduce carbon dioxide by 74 tonnes. A specific timeline for the vegetable oil fuel trial has not yet been confirmed.