Government of Jersey switches 252 fleet vehicles to renewable diesel fuel

The government of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands located between France and the U.K., has so far switched 252 of its vehicles to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also referred to as renewable diesel, as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The Jersey fleet-management team, which runs and repairs government vehicles, started to move towards using this fuel in May for all its diesel road vehicles.

Since then, the Jersey fleet-management team has been progressively switching to HVO instead of fossil-fuel diesel as it fills up at both Bellozane and La Collette.

William O’Leary, an assistant press officer with the government of Jersey, told Biobased Diesel Daily that the HVO fuel is supplied by Neste Corp. via Rubis.

As proposed in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap, approved by the States Assembly in 2022, the government has also set up a strategic decarbonization unit, working across the organization to reduce emissions. This is primarily focused on the fleet and buildings but will also look to educate employees on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Reducing our carbon emissions as an island is of grave importance and I’m pleased to see the progress being made in this area with our government fleet,” said Deputy Hilary Jeune, Jersey’s minister for energy and climate change. “The agreed Carbon Neutral Roadmap policies will eventually see petrol and diesel vehicles phased out in Jersey, and so making the switch towards more environmentally friendly fuels puts us in a good position for the changes that lie ahead. The decarbonization unit is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the government of Jersey and I look forward to seeing what else the team is going to deliver.”

Hugo Willson, the head of engineering and development, said, “This is an example of the government of Jersey leading by example and demonstrating how the switch to more sustainable fuel can help reduce our emissions. I am really excited for 2023 and the continued innovation we can explore, demonstrating that we are committed to a more sustainable future.”

A total of 252 Jersey government vehicles are now using HVO fuel, comprising roughly 38 percent of its fleet.

More than 40,000 gallons of HVO fuel has been used since May by the government of Jersey fleet and the La Collette waste sites.

Approximately 358 metric tons of CO2-equivalent have been removed from the fleet as a result of the switch in fuels.