The transport industry is now the largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the UK, according to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). At the same time, the sector has made the least progress in reducing GHG emissions since 1990. Currently, there are over 525,000 licensed HGVs operating in the UK. 99.5% of these vehicles are fuelled by diesel, contributing 16% of the UK transport sector’s total emissions.
A leading piece of legislation in the move to discover more sustainable fuel options has been the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) order. RTFO applies to suppliers of more than 450,000 litres of fuel per year and requires a percentage of the fuel supplied to come from renewable and sustainable sources. Although electrification can significantly reduce CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles, the limited energy density of current battery technologies is problematic for long-haul driving.
As new diesel cars and vans are set to be banned from 2030 in the UK and 2035 in Europe, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) successfully put forward a ban in November 2021, calling for HGVs to be zero-emissions by 2040. It is more crucial than ever to discover a sustainable alternative.
