Refuse collection vehicles 'could be powered by biomethane'

Date: 11/7/2011

Local authorities could save money if they use biomethane as a fuel source for their fleet of refuse collectors.

A trial conducted by Leeds City Council over the course of a year - using technical recommendations from Cenex, the UK Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies - has also found that such an initiative could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Biomethane can be sourced from landfill sites or specially constructed anaerobic digesters.

The case study centred on a Mercedes-Benz Econic LLG that was powered by the fuel and found that when compared to one of the council's diesel Econics a 49 per cent emissions saving was realised.

Should the temporary filling station that was used during the trial be replaced by a permanent one then this reduction could be even greater - with the local authority estimating a cut of 64 per cent.

Meanwhile, it was calculated that the annual cost of running this refuse collector would be £2,500 less than its diesel counterparts.

As a result of these findings, the council has extended the project for a further three to five years, using finance from the Infrastructure Grants Programme to install a permanent filling station.

Richard Crowther, Environmental Assessment Officer in Transport Policy at the Leeds local authority, says: "This successful trial shows the enormous potential for switching sections of our fleet over to gas technology and we look forward to further savings following its extension."

In September, Cenex will host the Low Carbon Vehicle event, which will showcase the latest developments in green transport.

Posted by Nick Anderson