The 27-tonne eCollect vehicle was supplied by Dennis Eagle and purchased for around £433,000 with the assistance of the Welsh Government, who provided grant funding for half of the cost via its Circular Economy Fund. The council paid the other half.
The RCV takes about seven to eight hours to charge to its maximum 300kwh. After two rounds covering between 60 and 80 miles and collecting more than 80 tonnes of waste the battery falls to around 20-40% of its total charge, Dennis Eagle says.
The vehicle will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 25-35 tonnes per year compared to a standard, non-electric vehicle, the council says.
Councillor Roger Jeavons, deputy leader of the council, said: “I’m delighted that Newport is the first local authority in the country to launch an electric refuse collection vehicle.
“This launch demonstrates our commitment as a council to improving our city’s environment and green credentials, and I look forward to us taking further action to decarbonise our fleet and make Newport a greener place to live.”
Carbon neutral
The RCV’s launch forms part of a wider project to replace the Newport city council’s existing vehicles with ‘eco-friendly’ alternatives, with the council currently working towards becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030.
“Actions such as this deliver sustainable benefits across the city and have a positive impact for both current and future generations”
Councillor Deb Davies, cabinet member for sustainable development, said: “This sustainable vehicle will not only help us meet our aim of becoming a carbon neutral organisation, but will also benefit many of our residents by reducing emissions and improving the air quality in their wards.
“Actions such as this deliver sustainable benefits across the city and have a positive impact for both current and future generations, so I’m really pleased to see the vehicle go into service and start delivering those benefits to our residents.”
Newport
Newport city council operates an in-house service for all waste collection services except recycling. Recycling is subcontracted to Wastesavers, a local social enterprise and charity.
Representing a population of more than 145,000, the council had a household waste recycling rate of 66.3% in 2019/20. This exceeded Wales’s 64% statutory target.
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