As part of its Carbon Reduction Programme, we are using sustainable biodiesel to fuel our fleet. There have been many concerns raised in the press recently about biofuels, both in terms of quality and environmental damage.

Before implementing its biodiesel system, Commercial researched a number of alternative fuels for its vehicles, including LPG, petro-electric hybrids and battery electric propulsion. We decided on biodiesel as the best for us based a number of factors, including health and safety, fuel availability, requirement for vehicle adaptation and impact on payload and operations, as well as carbon footprint.

The biodiesel we use is made from a waste product from various industrial and commercial frying processes, which otherwise would be going into holes in the ground. It is UK sourced and UK manufactured, contains no wheat from North America or palm oil from plantations in South-East Asia, and has an almost zero carbon footprint.

Our biodiesel is refined to exceed the EU standard EN14214, which ensures compatibility with our vehicles. We hold 20,000 litres of fuel on-site, and have integrated the fuel availability into our business continuity planning. In this way we can offer greater security of supply than most suppliers.