Vegetable oil fuel trial cuts Cambridgeshire fleet emissions by 80%

A landmark trial led by Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC), in partnership with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cambridgeshire Constabulary, has delivered an 80% reduction in carbon emissions from fleet vehicles, prompting the council to switch entirely to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel.

The eight-month pilot tested HVO across a range of HDC plant and machinery vehicles before councillors voted unanimously in September to adopt the renewable fuel across all 95 operational and pool fleet vehicles. With fleet activity responsible for more than a third of the council’s carbon footprint, the switch is expected to cut annual emissions by around 1,100 tonnes of CO₂ — a 30% overall reduction.

HVO, made from waste vegetable oils, can be used interchangeably with diesel, allowing vehicles to refuel anywhere without changes to performance or downtime. The council invited neighbouring emergency services to join the trial, with both police and fire teams taking part due to their proximity to HDC’s HVO storage tank at Eastfield House.

Seven police vehicles and a number of fire service vehicles ran on HVO during the trial. Both services reported identical performance compared with diesel, including on blue-light runs. For Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the switch complements its wider sustainability programme and long-term ambition to cut emissions across its fleet. (You can read more about this in our related feature, Taking a closer look at Cambridgeshire’s green fire engines.)

Despite HVO being more expensive than diesel, both services have continued using it based on sustainability gains. Superintendent Robin Sissons said the ability to switch safely between diesel and HVO during operations “de-risked” the trial, while the fire service said running engines on HVO achieves more than an 80% emissions reduction.

HDC oversaw the trial’s logistics — purchasing, storing and providing 24/7 access to the fuel via a secure site. The council believes the partnership model could be replicated nationally, enabling public bodies to share fuel infrastructure, vehicle maintenance and staff training.

Council leader Cllr Sarah Conboy said the project shows how collaboration can accelerate practical climate action. “Climate change demands urgency, and this trial demonstrates that bold action is possible now,” she said.

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