As part of Stevenage’s target to be net zero by 2030, the Council has set a target to decarbonise its fleet before 2030. The fleet accounted for approximately 23% of the Council's GHG emissions in their 2018 baseline data.
Decarbonising SBC's transport-related emissions includes reducing carbon emissions across its own fleet, the grey fleet used for operational purposes, and the modes of commuting of its workforce, as shown below.
Actions to decarbonise transport could be classified into the main groups shown below.
Actions consisting of avoiding unnecessary journeys or shifting to active travel or public transport are always under analysis by the Council, as they usually produce cost savings and positive effects in terms of congestion, local pollution and carbon emissions.
Currently, SBC operates a mixed fleet of more than 100 vehicles consisting of large goods vehicles, vans, tractors, mowers, road sweepers, plant, and small utility vehicles.
Things have started to change with new electric vans incorporated into the Council's fleet since 2023.
Almost the entire fleet ran on white diesel fuel until October 2024. Heavy-duty vehicles accounted for about 63.4% of the total SBC fleet emissions, with refuse freighters as particularly dominant (due to high mileage and high fuel consumption).
Before October 2024, cars and small vans, in turn, were responsible for nearly 22.3% of fleet-related SBC emissions, with minivans and panel vans the most relevant.
As part of its Climate Change Strategy, in 2023, the Council developed a pathway to decarbonise its fleet. This pathway included the switch from diesel to an ultra-low carbon biofuel, as soon as possible, and using Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) as the preferred replacement option for cars and small vans (from 2025 onwards) and light-duty (from 2027 onwards), and Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) of different available and cost-efficient technologies (such as BEVs or Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) for Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) from 2027.
The Council has also installed solar panels on the roofs of 7 of their refuse trucks. The solar panels power the onboard electrical systems, reducing the need for the alternator to be used which in turn, can save up to 1,100 litres of fuel per lorry per year.
The Council has purchased and incorporated seven electric vans since August 2023 to its fleet, with plans to add more in a replacement plan for our fleet in the mid-term.
The Council has started initial assessments for the electrification of its fleet, as a mid-term permanent decarbonisation solution following the switch to HVO in 2024.
The Council undertakes quarterly monitoring of emissions reductions based on information provided under the Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme (RFAS) by the Zemo Partnership.
The Council switched the entire SBC diesel fleet of road going and non-road going vehicles and machinery switching to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), reducing carbon emissions by up to 90%.
HVO, also known as HVO Biodiesel, is a synthetic, second-generation paraffinic fuel, a biofuel produced from vegetable oil waste. Due to its production process, HVO has a longer shelf life than regular biodiesel.
HVO is produced to conform to EN15940 & ASTM D975 standards for paraffinic & diesel fuels, and the EU Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) 2009/30/EC Annex 2. It is used as a direct, drop-in replacement for white diesel. It is stored in the same fuel tank and used in the same way as diesel, without modifications.
The switch to HVO was approved in the Council session on February 21, 2024, and it was implemented in October 2024.
Seven (7) refuse vehicles of the Council now have solar panels on their roofs. The solar panels are the Trailar Refuse 480W model. These are designed to supply power to the onboard electrical systems which means that the alternator is not required as much. Not using the alternator saves 10-15 brake HP from the engine which in turn saves fuel. It is estimated that over the course of a year each lorries solar panels will save up to 1,100 litres of diesel fuel, reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and saving money.