Swindon Borough Council in UK to switch 675 vehicles to renewable diesel

Photo: Swindon Borough Council

Approximately 70 miles west of London, England, the Swindon Borough Council announced March 2 that its vehicle fleet will no longer be powered by fossil fuels as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, will be phased in starting in April.

Made from vegetable oils and animal fats, HVO will replace fossil-based diesel fuel in powering approximately 675 council vehicles, reducing their carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 90 percent.

The fuel also significantly lowers nitrogen-oxide (NOx), particulate-matter (PM) and carbon-monoxide (CO) emissions, contributing to improved air quality across the borough.

HVO can be used as a direct replacement in most diesel engines without requiring vehicle modifications or new infrastructure.

All eligible council-owned diesel vehicles and equipment—including waste and recycling lorries, ride-on mowers, road sweepers, tractors and highway machinery—will transition to HVO as the council’s existing diesel supplies are run down.

As part of the council’s 2026-’27 budget approved in late February, £150,000 (USD$200,000) has been allocated to meet the annual increased cost of using HVO.

While it is more expensive than diesel, it burns cleaner and more efficiently, so vehicles should not have to refuel as often and will cost less to maintain, according to the council.

“It is seen as a cost-effective way of making an immediate and significant reduction to the council’s carbon footprint at a time when electrification of the fleet is cost prohibitive,” the council stated.

The HVO sourced by the council will be certified under recognized sustainability standards, including the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System GmbH, and will contain no palm oil.

This ensures the fuel is fully traceable, renewable and not linked to deforestation, the council stated.

“Ending the use of fossil fuel to power council-owned vehicles will have a positive and immediate environmental impact,” said Chris Watts, a council member and the borough’s cabinet member for the environment and transport. “Making the switch to a renewable biofuel, hydrotreated vegetable oil, will reduce the carbon-dioxide emissions of each vehicle by up to 90 percent. It will also benefit local air quality by significantly reducing the level of polluting gases generated by burning diesel. When you think that our waste crews make 20,000 collections every weekday using huge lorries—the environmental impact of switching these from diesel to this renewable biofuel is significant. Longer term, we will continue to explore all options to decarbonize our fleet still further, recognizing that widescale electrification is currently financially out of reach and comes with some operational challenges to resolve.”

The council currently operates 28 electric vehicles, including four hybrids.