Mayor of Bedfordshire Borough Council Dave Hodgson

Bedford Borough Council is to switch nearly 300 fleet vehicles to Shell Gas to Liquid (GTL) fuel as part of a six-month trial.

GTL is a drop-in fuel that can reduce emissions of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) by up to 37% and particulate matter (PM) by up to 90%.

In addition, the cleaner-burning fuel is odourless and able to reduce noise levels in some engines, a key benefit when operating in residential areas.

GTL can be used in existing trucks without the need for modifications or investment in infrastructure.

Through the duration of the six-month pilot, Bedford Borough Council plans to monitor the fuel’s performance in its fleet and measure its benefits to the environment, workforce and local communities.

It will be trialled in 26 RCVs, 57 HGVs and 200 of the council's light commercial vehicles.

Read more:

Mayor of Bedford Borough Council Dave Hodgson (pictured) said: “The council is committed to working in a greener way. We have led the way locally reducing carbon emissions from our estate by over half in recent years.

"This change to GTL fuel will help our fleet to run more efficiently and produce fewer local emissions, and so have a positive impact on our local environment.”

Shell GTL is supplied in the UK by Certas Energy.

It is already being used by foodservice operator Brakes, which has seen significant reductions in fleet emissions on the DAF trucks working out of its Park Royal depot in London.

Leigh Claridge, regional manager at Certas Energy, added: “More and more local governments are exploring cleaner ways to power their fleets, with over half of public sector organisations considering adopting alternative fuels in the next twelve months.

Alternative fuels can immediately support the transition to a low emission future without impacting productivity, and we’re excited to support Bedford Borough Council on their journey to cleaner air.”

Topics