Certas Energy is helping Royal Mail to take a significant step towards its net zero ambitions by fuelling part of its HGV fleet with lower emission fuel HVO.
Certas Energy HVO is a drop-in, fossil-free diesel alternative manufactured from 100% renewable and sustainable waste – and it can cut up to 90% of greenhouse gas emissions, instantly.
The first Royal Mail locations to transition to the renewable fuel from Certas Energy are Sheffield mail centre, Midlands Super Hub and Manchester vehicle operating centre. Using HVO at these sites will save a combined consumption of 2.1 million litres of diesel this year.
With four more locations to make the switch in the coming months and plans to increase its HVO deployment across its entire distribution fleet network, Royal Mail aims to further reduce its direct emissions by up to 200,000 tonnes of CO2e over three years.
Jamie Hodges, Head of National Accounts at Certas Energy, explained the company’s commitment to offering customers simple, seamless, and sustainable fuelling options.
“We are delighted to support Royal Mail in making significant strides in their energy transition,” he said. “Certas Energy is not just a fuel and energy partner, we are also a road fleet operator, so we appreciate the decarbonisation challenges facing the industry. After exceeding our own 2025 carbon reduction target three years ahead of schedule, thanks to our successful trial of HVO across our depot network, we have every confidence that the renewable fuel will play a pivotal and positive role in plugging the gap to net zero.”
Royal Mail is already leading the way in the UK’s letters and parcels energy transition. Its commitment to decarbonising its HGV fleet forms part of its ‘Steps to Zero’ plan, which pledges to reduce its average carbon emissions per parcel to about the same as making a cup of tea with milk by 2040.
With customer demand for more environmentally friendly solutions growing, adopting Certas Energy HVO is a positive move towards dramatically reducing emissions with immediate effect and without sacrificing productivity, as no engine or fuelling infrastructure modifications are required.
Rob Fowler, Fleet Director at Royal Mail, said: “We’ve made great progress in decarbonising our operation by introducing 5,000 electric vehicles into our final mile fleet but we also need to focus on our HGVs. At present, the electric and hydrogen alternatives are still in development for HGVs. Vehicle ranges are low, purchase prices are high and infrastructure is in its infancy. That is why we have introduced the use of HVO to decarbonise the HGV fleet within our operation via the most viable low-carbon option.
“We consider HVO to be a transitional fuel that helps us to take steps towards decarbonising our HGV fleet whilst low-emissions technologies continue to advance in this area. We will continue to assess and test other emerging low emission technologies that we could potentially deploy in our larger fleet including electric and hydrogen HGVs. Many of these technologies are still in development and are currently not commercially viable to deploy at scale.”
Speaking of Royal Mail’s transition, Clive Betts MP for Sheffield South East, said: “I welcome this initiative and hope it’s a first step on Royal Mail’s journey to reduce its carbon emissions from its larger fleet and reach net zero.”
As a Recognised Fuel Supplier under Zemo’s Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme, Certas Energy strengthens its position as a transparent and trusted energy transition partner. The accreditation demonstrates that Certas Energy HVO meets the highest product standards and reassures fleet operators that they are purchasing bulk supplies of guaranteed and reportable sustainable low carbon fuels.
No matter where you are on your energy transition journey, Certas Energy can support your journey to lower your carbon footprint. Find out how.
