Royal Mail has used over 10 million litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to power its heavy goods vehicle (HGV) fleet, marking its first milestone in the rollout of renewable fuel across its HGV fleet.
Royal Mail said the milestone means it has saved more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) since June 2023.
The company has set a target to use 27 million litres of HVO annually by this time next year, which it says will save a further 44,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The decarbonisation of the HGV fleet is part of Royal Mail’s ‘Steps to Zero’ strategy to reach net-zero by 2040
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HVO is a renewable alternative to diesel that reduces up to 90% of direct greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel. It was first introduced by Royal Mail in June 2023 as part of the company’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from its vehicle fleet.
HVO is now being used at six of Royal Mail’s largest sites, including both parcel hubs in Daventry and Warrington and key sites in the East Midlands, Manchester, Sheffield and Warrington.
“It’s of critical importance to our customers that we do everything we can to reduce our emissions as soon as possible,” said Royal Mail’s head of environment Zebrina Hanly.
“Electric and hydrogen options for HGVs are still in their infancy, so while the technology and infrastructure are developing, our strategy is to keep emissions to a minimum by using HVO as a transitional fuel.”
Last year, Royal Mail’s 2040 net zero and near-term targets were validated by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
