It’s not all about electric…

PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS such as the high cost of battery electric HGVs and reduced payloads, in addition to costs and time associated with installing grid upgrades are blocking progress on decarbonisation. Logistics businesses are calling on the government to recognise the critical role that LCF can play in achieving climate change goals: without this, the sector’s ability to decarbonise effectively and at pace will be compromised. LCF includes biomethane, high blend biodiesel and renewable diesel (HVO).

The call for LCF is a joint initiative between business group Logistics UK and the Sustainable Logistics Forum, and was included in a ministerial letter sent to Kier Mather, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation and Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The letter and statement outline how, while battery electric vehicles are widely accepted as the primary route to decarbonise HGVs, the technology is not yet considered commercially viable across most vehicle weights or operational use cases.

Logistics UK head of decarbonisation policy Lamech Solomon commented: “The logistics industry is facing its biggest ever challenge – how to achieve decarbonisation targets with limited infrastructure while faced with a challenging economic climate. Using LCF reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% so can have an instant impact. This Industry Statement makes it clear the logistics sector recognises zero tailpipe emission HGVs are the long-term goal but highlights how LCF can help support businesses decarbonise in a pragmatic and cost-effective manner – something that is critical for a sector where 99.7% of companies are small to medium enterprises and profit margins are typically 1-3%.”

The Industry Statement and a comprehensive report on the subject can be downloaded here and here