Estimated to save up to 97% in CO2 emissions (compared to traditional diesel fuel), the project forms part of the company’s ‘Fewer and Friendlier Miles’ campaign. Since the launch of the campaign in 2006, it has removed 20 million truck miles from UK roads.
The waste vegetable oil, a byproduct from snacks manufacturing, is processed into Ultra Biofuel and the adapted lorry fleet are set to recycle 500 tonnes of waste cooking oil a year.
The project is the result of a partnership with Convert2Green (formerly Biomotive Fuels) to develop an engine modification across UB’s lorry fleet, which has allowed its trucks to be 100% fuelled by waste oils.
The partnership, which began in 2011 following two years of initial investigations by UB into alternative fuels, has also resulted in the use of new biofuel vehicle management systems from German company Bioltec in 10 of its Mercedes tractor units currently being used nationwide.
As part of the project, a 30,000-litre heated refuelling station has been installed at UB’s Ashby depot.
UB now plans to roll out the project further across the business and has recently converted two of its new Euro VI vehicles to run on Ultra Biofuel.
The move to Ultra Biofuel is the latest in a series of commitments by the food manufacturer to reduce carbon emissions across its logistics operations, which have already seen a reduction of 40% since 2006.
The project will sit alongside other sustainability initiatives by UB, including the recent introduction of 62 longer trailers, projected to save 450,000 truck miles on UK roads each year.
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