Waitrose Invests in Green HGVs

High-end national supermarket chain Waitrose has experimented with gas-powered HGVs and found it to be a great success.  Cadent is the UK’s largest gas network and the suppliers of one large Leyland-based gas filling station. On behalf of operator CNG Fuels, they measured the pollution output of vehicles passing through its premises since it opened, including a large number belonging to Waitrose.

The grocery giant has been running the green vehicles as part of its fleet for the past 14 months, and the test results are in. Gas-powered HGVs emitted 84% less carbon dioxide than their diesel counterparts, showing that the Government’s aim of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 is perfectly possible. And all this while delivering for a mainstream and busy supermarket, which now says it plans to incorporate more of the vehicles into its operations. Not surprising, considering a single tank of biomethane gas fuel can power an HGV for up to 500 miles, making it economically viable as well as environmentally friendly.

CNG Fuels is named after compressed natural gas, which is pumped through high-pressure pipes at the UK’s first specialised gas facility in Leyland. Partnering with Cadent, CNG supply the gas at this site which could be the norm for similar sites around the country. This study is hot on the heels of news about the possible diesel scrappage scheme of 2040 which would see all diesel vehicles off the road in just over 20 years. Under the scheme, there would be cash incentives for car drivers to switch to diesel, but the plans around HGVs are still somewhat hazy.

However, with the industry taking steps such as testing gas-powered vehicles for such a major brand as Waitrose, it looks like we could be well on the way to a diesel-free haulage sector by 2040 anyway. HGVs currently account for around 15% of emissions of the country’s greenhouse gas, and 4% of total emissions in the UK.