As part of Stevenage’s target to achieve net zero by 2030, the Council has committed to decarbonising its fleet before 2030. To support this commitment, the Council has developed a specific "pathway" to organise its internal fleeet decarbonisation efforts, serving as the primary strategy for reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from its vehicles and machinery.
Established in mid-2023, this pathway was essential, given that the fleet historically accounted for approximately 23% of the Council’s total Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions (based on a 2020 baseline).
The strategy focuses on transitioning away from diesel through a two-stage approach:
Currently, the Council operates a mixed fleet of more than 150 vehicles consisting of large goods vehicles, vans, tractors, mowers, road sweepers, plant machinery, and small utility vehicles.
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 being particularly dominant (due to high mileage and high fuel consumption). Prior to October 2024, cars and small vans, in turn, were responsible for nearly 22.3% of fleet-related SBC emissions, with minivans and panel vans contributing the most.
Significant progress is now underway, marked by the switch from diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as the primary fuel for the Council fleet, the incorporation of new electric vans into the Council's fleet since 2023, the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the refuse collection lorries, and the ongoing execution of detailed electrification analyses.
The Council has started assessments for the electrification of its fleet, as a mid-term permanent decarbonisation solution following the switch to HVO in 2024.
The Council has purchased and incorporated seven electric vans and small vehicles since August 2023 to its fleet, with plans to add more in a replacement plan for our fleet in the short- and mid-term.
The Council undertakes quarterly monitoring of emissions reductions based on information provided under the Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme (RFAS) by the Zemo Partnership.
This transition has yielded measurable impacts, materially reducing Scope 1 emissions from fuel combustion and delivering an immediate improvement to the Council’s overall carbon footprint.
FY25/26 marked the first financial year the Council’s road fleet operated on 100% HVO. During this year, the Council used about 300,000 litres of HVO to powere its road fleet, resulting in just 10.7 tCO2e of direct (tank-to-wheel) emissions. This complete transition avoided c. 760 tCO2e of direct emissions compared to standard diesel use, reducing direct road fleet emissions by 98.6% against FY23/24 levels.
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.
