Derbyshire-based Phoenix Brickwork announces plans to ditch diesel and switch its fleet to an ultra-low emission alternative by April 2022

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 13 January 2022

Derbyshire-based brickwork, scaffolding and drywall business, Phoenix Brickwork has announced plans to switch its on-site fleet of telehandlers to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) immediately – slashing CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent.

The business, which set up a decade ago in Belper, has set itself a deadline of April 2022, to stop using diesel in all its machinery.

Working with several fuel suppliers across the UK, Phoenix Brickwork believes transferring over to HVO will boost its carbon neutral aims by using a one hundred percent fossil-free, biodegradable, and renewable source.

Hydrotreating vegetable oil is a modern way of producing high-quality, non-toxic fuels from completely renewable materials which can be regrown as and when stock is needed.

The new low-carbon, low-emission fuel, produced from waste cooking oil, is compatible with conventional diesel equipment and contributes to engine longevity.

Despite the additional cost, Christian Watson, Managing Director at Phoenix Brickwork, is committed to making the move and is confident that updating his fleet of telehandlers to use more eco-friendly fuel will reduce the business’s carbon footprint.

He said:

“With the environmental health of the world now in sharp focus, and the government’s commitment to achieve UK net zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, urgent action is needed by individuals and the industry alike.

“It is no longer a matter of if change is needed, but when.

“At Phoenix Brickwork, we believe the time is now, irrespective of the higher cost of this environmentally sustainable fuel. HVO costs more than standard white diesel but the change to HVO is more environmentally-friendly and that’s why we want to do it.”

Craig Barron, Plant and Fleet Manager at Phoenix Brickwork, is delighted to be switching the fleet to HVO. It’s his job to make sure Phoenix remains at the very vanguard of the construction industry’s drive towards carbon neutrality.

He said:

“It is rewarding to be part of such a forward-thinking firm that is planning for sustainability as it grows. We hope that many of our fellow construction industry colleagues will follow our lead.”

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