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Southwark makes a difference
Southwark Council's Fuel Policy will see the conversion of its existing petrol fleet to run on LPG
With around 6,000 employees, Southwark council is one of the busiest metropolitan authorities in the UK. The council is committed to delivering quality services that make a sustainable improvement to the long-term quality of life of every member of their local community.
In order to deliver the required services, the council have around 310 company cars and 300 other fleet vehicles, ranging from small car-derived vans to refuse collection vehicles. This fleet is managed centrally by Matthew Trott, from the council’s central vehicle depot.
The Mayor of London’s Air Quality Strategy notes that London’s air quality is the worst in the UK and among the worst in the European Union. Each year, up to twenty-four thousand people die prematurely in Britain from the effects of air pollution. Reducing local emissions is therefore an essential responsibility of any local authority.
The green fleet strategy
Southwark’s green fleet strategy was developed in 1997 and through its implementation the fleet services department were successful in winning the first public sector green fleet award in 1999.
The development of the Southwark green fleet strategy has been aided by the advice supplied by TransportEnergy BestPractice, which included providing Matthew with free publications such as the fleet management guide and green fleet tool kit. The green fleet policy developed by Southwark has a number of individual elements:
Fuel policy
The Southwark fuel policy ensures that the best practical environmental option is always chosen. This policy was agreed and adopted by the council in November 2004. Under this policy the council’s existing petrol fleet (e.g. car derived vans) is being replaced over time with similar vehicles that have been converted to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This fuel was chosen in order to reduce the impact of vehicle use on local air quality. Through its use of LPG the council has already seen fuel cost savings on account of its lower initial fuel cost and the fact that LPG fuelled vehicles are exempt from the London congestion charge.
Similarly, the council’s diesel fleet (e.g. panel vans) is now involved in trials on bio-diesel, a cleaner burning diesel made from natural and renewable resources such as vegetable oils. The council uses a 30% blend during the summer and a 20% blend during the winter. The lower blend reduces the amount of waxing that occurs during cold weather, therefore reducing the need for cleaning blocked fuel filters.
Southwark council did encounter some issues with their leasing and maintenance costs when running at such high blends of bio-diesel. However, as the use of bio-diesel is a long-term policy the council have under-written all potential excess costs. Another issue encountered by Southwark was the
standard of the bio-diesel being used, as one sub-standard fuel delivery caused some running problems.
However, changing the fuel supplier and introducing a rigorous checking process have rectified this. The use of bio-diesel will result in a decrease in harmful emissions produced by these vehicles.
Awareness raising
To ensure the council gained the support of their workforce an awareness raising programme was developed. This enabled the drivers to understand the council’s commitment to residents and need to provide a more environmentally friendly transport service.
Driver training
The council has introduced a pilot driver training programme focussed on fuel-efficient driving techniques. This pilot is anticipated to reduce fuel consumption and wear and tear on the vehicles. If successful this will lead to similar training being initiated for all fleet drivers.
Vehicle procurement policy
To ensure the most environmentally friendly vehicle is chosen, a green procurement policy has been developed, ensuring that an exact fuel type or vehicle is specified for each operational need. Included in this were the adoption of the latest Euro standards for each vehicle type and the use of LPG and bio-diesel fuels.
The introduction of the most modern, Euro 3 and Euro 4 vehicles will reduce the environmental impact of the fleet by reducing the regulated pollutants of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM10) and hydrocarbons (HC).
Exhaust after-treatment
Exhaust after-treatment devices have been fitted to all vehicles above 7.5 tonnes. It is anticipated that these will reduce particulate emissions by up to 90% from the vehicles to which they have been fitted.
Fuel monitoring
Although most of the Southwark petrol fleet is now being run on LPG, it was recognised that some drivers were predominantly refuelling with petrol.Therefore the benefits of switching to LPG were not being fully realised. To rectify this situation, Matthew implemented a monitoring and analysis system to allow the effective tracking and management of fuel use.
Conclusions
Southwark is in the initial stages of measuring and monitoring fuel use and mileage records. Once a definitive baseline has been established, Matthew will be able to ascertain the impacts of the different initiatives from its green fleet strategy. With the ongoing assistance provided through TransportEnergy BestPractice it is likely that Southwark will continue to have a positive influence on their local community.
As Matthew said: “The fuel policy has created a defined strategy with regards vehicle procurement and its affect on local air quality. We have currently realised a potential saving of over £100,000 in congestion charges with the utilisation of LPG alone and whilst bio-diesel is in its infant stages we are looking to implement it across 100 vehicles at a 20% blend. We feel this demonstrates Southwark’s commitment to a cleaner and greener borough and a sustainable future.”
Matthew Trott is fleet manager at Southwark Council. For further information about TransportEnergy best practice, visit www.transportenergy.org.uk
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