The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP), based in United Kingdom, recently released a new guide for fleet operators outlining how renewable fuels can immediately cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in road transport.  According to the organisation, while there has been much focus on vehicle electrification to help meet the UK’s net-zero target, there are still “major technical challenges” to overcome, particularly concerning longer-distance road freight.

The LowCVP which was established in 2003, is a public-private partnership working to accelerate a sustainable shift to lower carbon vehicles and fuels and create opportunities for UK business. 

According to the LowCVP, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) currently produce around 15% of total road transport GHG emissions, with a similar contribution coming from light-duty vans. Vehicles with long-haul duty cycles account for the largest portion of GHG emissions from HGVs.

The Renewable Fuels Guide, produced by the LowCVP and low-emission vehicle research and consultancy Cenex, shows how the adoption of renewable fuels from sustainable feedstocks offers one of the quickest and most economically-viable routes to lowering vehicle emissions. CNG Fuels and Scania also supported the guide.

The guide aims to educate fleet operators on the range of low carbon and sustainable fuels currently available in the UK, demonstrating the business and environmental case for their adoption. It focuses on renewable fuels such as biomethane, biodiesel, biopropane and hydrotreated vegetable oil.

According to the LowCVP, renewable fuels are mandated for use under UK legislation and are now present in most road transport fuel currently on the market. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Order (RTFO) requires large UK retail fuel suppliers to guarantee that at least 9.75% of the fuel they supply comes from renewable sources by 2020, and 12.4% by 2032. However, the latest figures show that only 4.9% of the total road fuel supplied in the UK currently comes from these sources.