Transport firm chips in with eco friendly bus

The UK's latest eco bus - powered by fuel made from waste cooking oil from local chip shops and restaurants - is to make its debut on the roads of Bristol this week.

The launch is part of a six-month trial by FirstGroup, which will examine emissions from buses run on 100% biodiesel. And thanks to a partnership with Bristol City Council, local people can also 'chip in' to support the project themselves by donating their own waste cooking oils at either of the city's household waste recycling centres.

The bus - a 1998 single deck Dennis Dart vehicle which has been specially branded for the project - is known locally as 'The Chipper' and will operate on Service 73, running between the city centre and Cribbs Causeway, passing many of the businesses that are supporting the project along the way.

The project has three aims; as well as gauging how well the bus performs in comparison to conventional diesel vehicles and looking at the reaction of local customers to the move, the operators will also assess whether the biodiesel fuelling the bus produces less smoke than ordinary diesel when it is burnt.

If, as the company expects, biodiesel produces less smoke, then it could mean that First is able to consider switching more of its vehicles to 100% biodiesel, source entirely from waste oil.

Programme developers believe this would not only help the company to reduce its carbon footprint but its operating costs too. Currently engine filters on buses - which should last the lifetime of the vehicle - need to be replaced every 150,000 miles because they become so clogged with smoke particulates.

As it costs the company a considerable amount to replace these filters, any attempt to make them last longer - reducing operating costs - will deliver a competitive advantage.

John Bickerton, Engineering Project Manager for First UK Bus, said: "As well as being a near carbon-neutral fuel source, biodiesel made from waste cooking oil can produce less carbon monoxide when it is burnt, so it is considered better for the environment than conventional diesel.

"During this project we'll be closely monitoring the emissions produced by 'The Chipper', examining them every 28 days. If it is shown that the vehicle produces less smoke as a result of running on biodiesel, that would be very good news."

During the six-month trial, waste cooking oil to fuel the bus will be sourced from a number of local businesses, including chip shops, restaurants and pubs, Bristol Rovers Football Club as well as First's own staff canteens.

Members of the public will also be able to donate their own waste cooking oil by taking it to one of the two household waste recycling centres in the city, from where it will be collected by Southville-based company McKeown Bio Fuels and turned into biodiesel.

Justin Davies, Managing Director of First in Bristol added: "We welcome any opportunity to trial new or alternative technologies, particularly if in doing so we're able to reduce our own impact on the environment.

"Notably in Bristol we've previously trialled hybrid electric vehicles and those powered on LPG and compressed gas and while each project had its relative merits, neither have offered the company a viable long-term alternative to conventional diesel.

"This project is particularly good though as we're using a waste material as a fuel source, and it's a near carbon neutral one at that, so the carbon dioxide produced by burning it is offset by the amount that would have been absorbed by the plants that were initially used to make it.

"We know it's possible to run vehicles on 100% biodiesel as it's been done elsewhere, but we want to assess the impact that this fuel has on our engine emissions and the overall maintenance process. It will also be interesting to see what local bus users think of the trial and the steps we are taking to reduce, reuse and recycle waste in the city.

"It's great to be able to work in partnership with local residents and businesses to run this project; I think it will produce some interesting results."

The Chipper will operate in the city for six months from May 2009. The project is part of FirstGroup's wider environmental and climate change strategies, which see the company reducing, reusing and recycling as much of its waste as possible. As part of the climate change strategy First UK Bus aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 25% by 2020.

First Bristol, Somerset and Avon has recently signed up to the Bristol Green Capital pledge - a new initiative designed to get organisations in the city to recognise the role they can play in making Bristol a leading green capital, offering residents a high quality of life.

Posted in the category of general | comments are closed | Tue 12 May 2009