Decision Details

That Cabinet:

- Approves changing the fuel used by all the Euro 6 rated diesel-powered vehicles in the Council’s vehicle fleet from diesel to certified palm oil free Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel.

- Approves a procurement process in autumn 2021 for the supply of certified palm oil free Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel meeting the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification.

- Approves in principle the potential additional cost of £150,000 to purchase and install HVO bulk fuel storage tanks to be funded from the capital programme.

- Requires that other than in the most exceptional circumstances any replacement or new fleet vehicles (whether leased or purchased) are Euro 6 compliant.

1) That changing the fuel used by all the Euro 6 rated diesel-powered vehicles in the Council’s vehicle fleet from diesel to certified palm oil free Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel be approved. 

2) That a procurement process in autumn 2021 for the supply of certified palm oil free Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel meeting the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification be approved. 

3)  That in principle the potential additional cost of £150,000 to purchase and install HVO bulk fuel storage tanks to be funded from the capital programme be approved. 

4)  That other than in the most exceptional circumstances any replacement or new fleet vehicles (whether leased or purchased) are Euro 6 compliant.

To allow the immediate migration of a significant element of the Council’s diesel fleet from fossil-fuel derived diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. 

With more vehicles migrated to HVO in subsequent years, this migration has the potential to ultimately reduce the annual carbon emissions associated with the fleet by approximately 90.7% and reduce the council’s total carbon emissions by around 32.1% against 19/20 levels, once the migration of the entire fleet to HVO is complete.

The advantage of HVO as a drop-in fuel requiring no modifications to the existing compatible fleet confers the ability to revert to the use of conventional diesel if required.  This would safeguard the continuation of the Council’s operations, for example, in the event of disruption to the supply of HVO fuel.

This will present a cost-effective opportunity to achieve significant and immediate progress towards carbon neutrality.