The council has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the environment for present and future generations, not only with the vehicle itself, but also with the installation of London’s first bio-gas refuelling station which will provide power to its new compressed biomethane powered street cleansing vehicle.

The council announced its environmental sustainability delivery plan till 2012, Delivering a Sustainable Camden, in July. In this it committed a further £3,000,000 to tackling climate change at a local level. The biomethane station and vehicle could prove to be a key factor in this drive if the sixmonth trial proves a success.

The trial aims to prove the reliability of using biomethane fuel in a commercial vehicle. Bio-methane is a gas produced from food and garden waste and broken down to give off methane - this is then processed and cleaned and used as transport fuel.

In August Camden Council teamed up with the UK’s first biomethane producer Gasrec, waste management company Veolia Environmental Services and commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco, to carry out a commercial trial of the compressed biomethane-powered street cleansing vehicle.

The bio-gas fuelling station at the council’s York Way depot is capable of providing the trial vehicle with fuel for its 60 mile-per-day route. The six month trial aims to prove the reliability of using this fuel in a commercial vehicle. If it proves successful Camden Council could also fuel vehicles from its existing fleet, as well as investing in new biomethane vehicles when replacement is due. Meanwhile, further to the environmental benefits of cleaner fuel, natural gas powered engines are immune to both current and future oil price fluctuations. Plus, since the fuel is derived from household waste it also means less rubbish is sent to landfill.

The York Road depot itself is no stranger to environmental sustainability, with the recent announcement that solar panels, fitted in July, have already saved a ton of carbon emissions by limiting the amount of power the depot needs to take from the national grid.

Cllr Keith Moffitt, leader of Camden Council, said: “We are absolutely committed to playing our part in tackling climate change here in Camden. This new fuelling station is a great example of being open to innovative ideas to meet this important goal and clearly shows Camden at the forefront. Steps like these all form part of our wide-reaching goal to make Camden a sustainable borough.”

Cllr Chris Knight, Camden Council’s executive member for the environment added: “Improving the environment and tackling climate change are top priorities for Camden Council. The opening of the capital’s first bio-gas re-fuelling station here in Camden is a massive achievement as bio-methane is seen as one of the most climate friendly fuels around today. If this trial proves successful we aim to fuel part of Camden Council’s own fleet, helping to protect the environment and save money. We always encourage our contractors to deliver their services in environmentally
friendly ways and this is a perfect example of this ethos being brought to life.”

This step allows for more convenient refuelling for the trial vehicle and ensures a reliable source of bio-methane. It is hoped that the trial will prove the suitability of compressed bio-methane for back-to-base operations, after which the refuelling station can also be used to fuel more biomethane vehicles as they enter the council fleet.

The biomethane street cleaner marks the latest stage in co-operation between Gasrec and Camden Council. Earlier in the year the council was one of five finalists in the Capital Fuel Challenge event, sponsored by Transport for London (TfL). The council’s Gasrec biomethane-powered Lotus Elise competed against 29 other entrants, including former F1 world champion Damon Hill driving an electric sports car, in order to measure their fuel efficiency. Each vehicle had to navigate its way around the congestion charge zone, stopping at four predetermined checkpoints to pick up a parcel. The top five entrants were then entered into the TfL Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award.

Although biomethane may not currently be one of the most popular alternatives to traditional petrol or diesel, with only about 400 vehicles currently on the UK’s roads, its stock does seem to be rising. The Camden trial follows Sainsbury’s taking delivery of its first biomethane powered lorry in August, while the fuel’s profile should also have been raised when Gasrec took the Alternative Fuel Supplier of the year award at the recent Green Fleet Awards, joining illustrious fellow winners including BMW and EDF.