Greenwich Council launches trial to make its vehicles environmentally friendly (From News Shopper)

Greenwich Council aims to make its vehicles green by switching from diesel to biomethane gas

11:59am Tuesday 8th March 2011 in Greenwich By

Greenwich Council launches trial to make its vehicles environmentally friendly

Greenwich Council is aiming to make its transport fleet environmentally friendly by switching from diesel to biomethane gas.

Two of its gas operated vehicles have started to trial the new fuel.

Biomethane is a gas created during the breakdown of organic material such as waste.

If the 12 month trial is successful a longer term strategy for using this technology may be adopted in the borough.

The project will help work towards targets set in the Greenwich Strategy, which contains a commitment that the borough will have low carbon vehicles using clean, renewable energy fuels.

Greenwich Council’s cabinet member for Greener Greenwich, Councillor Rajwant Sidhu, said: “This is a very exciting project and a vital step forward for the Greenwich environment.

“Using biomethane gas to replace diesel will help to lower emissions from Greenwich Council’s operations and, should the trial be successful, a longer term strategy for using this technology may be adopted.”

After the trial, a project evaluation will calculate cost savings from using the alternative fuel and will also look at the environmental benefits achieved.

The first UK bus to be powered by duel-fuel diesel-biomethane, in East Anglia, was found to reduce pollutant emissions and green house gas discharges by almost a half.