Go Plant Fleet Services are committed to improving the air quality in London and Birmingham, as they transition from traditional diesel to cleaner-burning, GTL (Gas To Liquid) Fuel in their road sweeper fleet. Trials will take place in London and Birmingham over a six-month period starting in July 2019.
Supplied in the UK by Certas Energy, GTL Fuel is a drop in, cleaner burning diesel alternative fuel which can be used to improve air quality without the need for expensive modifications to existing engines or investment in infrastructure.
GTL Fuel is proven to immediately reduce local emissions of harmful air 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 by up to 5 decibels, a key benefit when operating in residential areas.
The announcement coincides with National Clean Air Day, the largest air pollution campaign in the UK, on Thursday, June 20.
Phil Quelch, National Fleet Engineering Director at Go Plant Fleet Services, explains “As one of the leading providers of specialist commercial vehicles in the UK, we’re acutely aware of our responsibility to the environment. The search for alternative fuels and the requirements of emission standards being introduced in towns and cities across the country pose a major challenge to the industry.
“But we’re leading the way in the quest for a viable and long-term solution and have been looking into this area for quite some time. If the industry was to wait around for new technology to become available, that would take a lot of time, GTL Fuel is a drop-in alternative that has an immediate effect in reducing emissions and improving local air quality without engine modification”
“The comparison testing, supported by data captured with the CMS ‘Go Connect’ system, will present us with the data to measure the reduction of harmful emissions.”
Go Plant will trial two heavy duty Johnston 651 and 652 sweepers with GTL Fuel, both fitted with special telematics devices to capture data relating to aspects including air quality, noise pollution, performance and economy.
The results of using diesel and GTL Fuel in both the main and auxiliary engines will be collected during the process to form the basis of a comparison analysis.
Phil adds: “We’ve looked in depth at the potential of electric and hydrogen vehicles, but the truth is neither the technology nor the infrastructure is really there yet for heavy duty road sweepers”
“It’s a fuel that can be used with our existing vehicles and we’re confident it can help us to future-proof our fleet, but the trial will provide us with total clarity of the benefits.”
Previous independent trials have shown that GTL Fuel can reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 37 per cent and particulate matter by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel.
It can be used as a direct replacement in heavy and light duty engines without the need for modifications or new infrastructure, it’s more biodegradable and provides reduced noise levels in many cases.
Matt O’Hara, Business Manager for Certas Energy explains “GTL Fuel is cleaner for the local environment and communities, than traditional diesel. It was introduced to the UK in 2016 and is becoming widely accepted as an alternative fuel solution to immediately reduce local emissions and noise pollution across multiple industries. Go Plant Fleet Services will be the first company of its kind in the UK to trial its use with heavy duty road sweepers”
If you would like to learn more about how GTL Fuel could help your business reach emissions targets, lower costs and increase productivity
