Sustainable Generator Fuel Trials
In an effort to minimise CO2 emissions and disturbance to the local community we are trialling the use of two hydrogenated vegetable oil generators. These are required to power the tower cranes over a two week period while we move a sub-station connection and transfer from low to high voltage supply.
The ‘Green D+’ fuel is made exclusively from waste products comprising a mix of vegetable oils and animal/fish fats. Unlike regular diesel hydrogen is used as a catalyst in the process instead of methanol. This is therefore a sustainable fuel source which saves one tonne of carbon for every 350 litres of fuel burned. We are expecting to save 68.5 tonnes of carbon from this trial – equivalent to roughly 14 personal flights from London to Sydney.
Beyond its carbon benefit, it also achieves a 29% reduction in Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions and a 77% reduction in airborne particulates compared to red diesel, and therefore reduces air pollution to the local community. The high cetane value of the fuel (70+) also reduces combustion noise, sometimes referred to as ‘knocking’ noise, which is so often associated with the running of a generator on site.
Downsides are a marginal increase in cost of the fuel and the whole site smells faintly like a chip shop. But we’re saving the planet.
Environmental benefits:
- Reduction in carbon emissions
- Use of waste materials
- Reduction in noise and air pollution
Business benefits:
- Stakeholder engagement (community and City of London)
- Small trial of potentially beneficial technology
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 
Commendable and I’m sure the planet appreciates the effort. What triggered this act of benevolence, did someone genuinely think sustainable or was there a financial or legal push?
We weren’t supposed to need more generators on site but when that plan fell through we had a look at the Green D+ on the recommendation of one of the neighbours – the office block to the south of the site has just switched their in-house generators to bio-fuel.
I think the fuel suppliers may have done us a deal on the hire of the gennies and the price wasn’t too dissimilar to regular generators so we went for it. It does seem to be a bit of cheap and easy stakeholder management with some genuine environmental concern thrown in.