Avon Fire & Rescue Service in UK trials renewable diesel to cut emissions

Avon Fire & Rescue Service, serving Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire in the U.K., has recently completed a successful trial using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel.

The trial highlights the service’s ongoing commitment to reducing carbon emissions and improving environmental sustainability while ensuring it can respond to the needs of local people.

The fleet, technical services and environment teams at AF&RS initiated this trial to explore HVO’s environmental benefits and financial feasibility.

The trial involved running one of the service’s workshop vehicles on HVO for 1,065 miles, and the technicians driving the vehicle didn’t see a drop in performance.

“In an era where environmental concerns and operational efficiency are at the forefront of everyone’s mind, emissions reductions have become a critical focus for us as an emergency service to assist in our sustainability targets,” said Matt Derrick, the head of transport and technical services. “I’m pleased to see the success of this trial, as we’re keen to trial new methods to reduce our carbon footprint as a service. We’re looking forward to progressing with the use of HVO and other renewable energy sources and we are now rolling it out to some of our euro 6 Volvo fire engines and also all euro 6 ancillary vehicles, including cars and vans.”

HVO is a renewable fuel that can directly replace diesel in modern engines without needing any vehicle modifications.

One of its major benefits is that it produces 80 percent to 90 percent fewer emissions compared to traditional diesel.

It also has a longer shelf life, lasting up to 10 years, unlike diesel, which starts to degrade after just one year, according to AF&RS.

Lab tests conducted before and after the trial revealed a significant reduction in engine wear when using HVO.

The test also revealed the reduction in carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions.

A diesel engine produces 2.512 kg of CO2 per liter of fuel, whereas an engine running on HVO emits a 98.6 percent reduction.

Therefore, if AF&RS’s entire diesel fleet switched to HVO, its annual CO2 emissions would drop from 540 metric tons to just 7.6 tons.

“Overall, this trial demonstrates that HVO is a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to diesel for the service, particularly in areas where electric vehicles are not yet feasible,” AF&RS stated. “As the service continues its journey towards becoming a greener organization, HVO could play a critical role in reducing their carbon footprint without sacrificing vehicle performance.”