The six-month recycling and refuse collection trial is being undertaken by the London borough's waste contractor SITA UK. The vehicle uses diesel as well as compressed biomethane (CBM) fuel, which is derived from the gas produced by the natural decomposition of waste deposited in landfill sites.
We are confident that the trial will be a success and hope to see more of our vehicles using dual-fuel engines in the near future as a result
Stuart Hayward-Higham, SITA UK
The CBM is being sourced from SITA's landfill site at Albury in Surrey, where it is produced by liquid methane fuel producer Gasrec. The truck uses a dual-fuel engine system which was developed and supplied by environmental technology firm Hardstaff Group.
Stuart Hayward-Higham, technical director for SITA UK, said: “It has been a collective effort to get this trial in place and we are delighted that Kensington and Chelsea are hosting the trial. We hope that residents will also be happy to see their council and waste contractor working together to reduce carbon emissions and also our reliance on fossil fuels.
“We are confident that the trial will be a success and hope to see more of our vehicles using dual-fuel engines in the near future as a result. Our vision is of a society with no more waste, and by using fuel created from our own landfill site we are hopefully taking another step towards this vision,” he added.
Vehicle
The truck, which is also expected to be up to three decibels quieter than a normal collection vehicle thanks to its modified engine, will embark on its first round today. Specially designed livery has been attached to the truck to make it easily identifiable to residents over the coming months.
The council hopes that the dual-fuel engine in the new vehicle will be able to substitute up to 65% of the diesel used by normal engines with the renewable alternative.
Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to be reduced by around 14% if the substitution target is met, with carbon monoxide emissions anticipated to be reduced by up to 98%. It is also hoped the amount of nitrogen oxide produced by the engine would reduce from between 35-65%.
Councillor Nick Paget-Brown, cabinet member for the environment, said: “We are always looking at ways to improve how we collect our residents' waste and I am delighted that a refuse vehicle powered by landfill gas will be collecting rubbish from the Royal Borough's streets.”
“This is an important landmark in the Council's recycling history and highlights our commitment to protecting the environment,” he added.
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